


Changes | Sam and Dean Winchester x Sister!Reader |

by TonyStarks_Girl



Category: SPN, Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Big Brother Dean, Big Brother Sam, But with changes, Character Death, Emotional shit up ahead, F/M, First few chapters are basically the pilot episode but with some changes, Flashback, Flashback Chapter, Flashbacks, GUYS, Honestly this is the first season, Hurt/Comfort, I'll take irony for 500 Alan, John Winchester Feels, John's first appearance, Lies, No Incest, Phone Calls, Sam Winchester Feels, Secrets, Sibling!Reader, Sister!Reader, This gon' be an adventure, Though Dean and Reader have a close bond, Voicemails, brother-sister love, doesn't move the plot, extra chapter, fucking jeans, gummy worms, hiking in jeans, i love gummy worms, national siblings day, not even shorts, sorry - Freeform, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:06:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4344350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TonyStarks_Girl/pseuds/TonyStarks_Girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been two years since Sam left for college, and things have changed.</p><p>For better or for worse? Sam's money is on for worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since I saw the pilot episode a few days ago, I knew I had to do this. I've only just gotten into the show, so forgive me. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the story, as it goes with the show, though my own plot has obviously been injected in.
> 
> A lot of dialogue will be familiar in this first chapter, but I promise the entire story won't be that way.
> 
> Let me know what you think, yeah? :)

Sam woke up, startled. He heard noises, and he knew someone was breaking in. He carefully stood, taking care to not wake up his beautiful girlfriend. He slowly walked out of the bedroom and walked toward the noise.

He saw a tall figure, though still shorter than himself, walking around. He saw him headed in the direction Sam was and the Winchester slunk back in the shadows, quiet as a mouse. He waited until he heard the footsteps get closer, his heart beating in anticipation.

Who the hell was here in his apartment, and what the hell was he trying to do? Sam found he didn't care too much. That wasn't first priority.

He held his breath until the man walked into the same room as Sam, and then he lunged. His arm was quickly knocked away as he grabbed one of the broad shoulders and he suddenly ducked as the man's fist aimed to connect with Sam's body.

Though before the taller of the two could retaliate, his arm was grabbed and he was turned around and pushed backwards. A kick was blocked and then Sam was once again shoved, this time into the next room.

Sam bit his tongue once the man's elbow connected with his face, and again his kick was dodged. The shorter one swung his fist again, and while Sam blocked it, he was still knocked down and then pinned, the man's hand on his throat and the other one his wrist.

"Woah, easy tiger."

Sam inhaled deeply, trying to catch his breath as he looked up at the man. He lifted his head up lightly, confusion etched all over his face.

"Dean?"

The man laughed, confirming his identity. Sam rolled his eyes at his older brother.

"You scared the shit outta me!"

Dean shrugged, "That's 'cause you're out of practice. You wouldn't be, if-"

And before his sentence was finished, they were flipped over. Dean's eyes were amused, though slightly irked his brother had managed to overpower him, but not too much.

"I guess I stand corrected, don't I?" He said flatly, "Now get the hell off me."

Sam shook his head and stood, pulling his older brother off of his apartment floor. He looked into the green eyes of his sibling, not quite sure what to make of his presence.

"What're you doing here?"

"Thinkin' about havin' a beer, thought about you." He gave him a fake smile.

Sam wasn't amused, "What the hell are you doing here, Dean?"

The older one sighed, "Alright. We gotta talk."

"They have phones for that." Sam said dryly.

"Would you have answered?" Dean shot back.

Suddenly the light was turned on and the men looked over to see Jessica, obviously tired and confused as to what the hell was going on so late at night.

"Sam?"

Sam sighed, "Dean, this is Jessica, my girlfriend."

Dean smiled appreciatively, his eyebrows shooting up for a moment, surprised a woman that good-looking was with his younger brother of all people.

"Dean, as in, your older brother?" Jess asked, a smile growing on her young face.

Sam nodded and Dean grinned, looking at her shirt. "I love the Smurfs… Anyway, you are way out of my brother's league, you know?"

"I should go put something on…" Jessica said awkwardly, turning to leave.

"Na, don't do that. I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously." Dean moved back to his brother, eyes on Jess the entire time.

Sam glared at his older brother, obviously already way past annoyed.

"Sorry honey, gotta borrow your boyfriend here. Family business talk."

"No." Sam said, face stony. There was no way this was happening.

He moved to his girlfriend, snaking his arm around her waist, "You got something to say, you can say it to both of us."

"Fine. Dad hasn't been home in a few days." He said, any traces of amusement long gone.

"So? He's working overtime. He'll be back sooner or later."

Dean clenched his jaw, "He's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a few days."

And while his expression never changed, his demeanor on the inside sure as hell did. He looked down at his girlfriend.

"Excuse us. We have to talk outside."

Jess nodded and Sam went to put on a hoodie and pair of jeans, taking his girlfriend with him into the bedroom to prevent Dean from flirting with her any more. He was silent as dressed, saying nothing until he and Dean were outside, the older Winchester providing an explanation as to why he sought his younger sibling out.

"You can't just break into my apartment and expect me to up and leave with you, Dean." Sam responded, annoyed.

"Sammy, you're not listening. Dad's missing, and I need your help to find him."

"Then what about (Name)? She can help you just fine."

Dean sucked in a deep breath, "Not gonna be enough. I need you too."

"Why? She's more experienced than I am by now."

Dean breathed in sharply, "Sammy..."

"Speaking of (Name), where is she?" Sam noticed something was off when he didn't see you with Dean. You'd practically been glued to him your entire life.

Though that wasn't to say you didn't love Sam just as much. He knew you loved him, and he loved you too. But your bond with Dean had always been stronger. Hell, you were closer to Dean than your own father and vice versa. Sam supposed it was the biggest brother, little sister aspect of it.

"In the car. Look, are you coming or not?"

"No. I swore off hunting for good."

"It wasn't so bad…" Dean muttered, "Not easy, but not that bad."

"Yeah? I told Dad I was scared of something in my closet, he gave me a .45."

Dean stopped walking and looked at his younger brother, "Well what the hell did you expect him to do? You know our line of work."

"I was nine!" Sam whisper-yelled, "I expected him to say not to be afraid of the dark."

"Like I said, you know our line of work. You damn well should be afraid of the dark."

"I know, but still. You think Mom wanted this for us? Wanted (Name) to do this?"

Dean said nothing and rolled his eyes, continuing his way to his prized Impala. Sam inwardly groaned at his brother's attitude about it.

"Dean, we were raised like warriors. And you know what? We still haven't found what killed mom."

Dean ignored his brother's last statement and looked into his eyes, "So what're you saying? You wanna live some normal, white picket fence, wife, two and a half kids life?"

"Not normal." Sam said, staring right back at the older Winchester, "Safe."

Dean said nothing, but Sam knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I was going to college. That's what I wanted, and Dad's the one who said to stay gone if I was gonna go, so that's what I did."

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked, unimpressed, "Well listen to this. Dad's in trouble, and if he's not dead yet, he will be. Look, Sam, we can't do this on our own. We need you. And if you're not gonna do it for Dad, do it for me. And if you're not gonna do it for me, do it for your baby sister." He said seriously, venom edging his words. He pointed to the car, where Sam saw a glimpse of you sleeping in the passenger seat, your pale skin glowing against the light of the streetlight.

Sam took a deep breath, "What was he hunting?"

Dean grinned and moved to the trunk, opening up the arsenal, looking for something.

"Why didn't either of you go with Dad?"

"We were doin' our own job down in New Orleans." He commented absently, digging through.

"He let you two go on a hunt without him?"

Dean looked at his brother, "Dude, I'm twenty-six. I can take care of us."

The older Winchester caught the younger one up to speed on everything, showing him the documents he'd been looking for and playing the voicemail he'd received. Afterwards Dean closed everything up and looked at Sam.

"I haven't bothered you for two years, Sammy. Never asked you for a thing." He threw out his final pitch, knowing that coupled with the fact he'd let you down if he didn't come along would convince him.

Sam sighed and pinched his nose, "Fine. I'll help you."

xXx

Dean leaned on the side of the Impala, waiting for Sam. He opened the back door and let Sam toss his bag in before moving onto the driver's side, turning on the car. Sam slid inside behind Dean and looked diagonally to him.

"She's grown." He said softly.

Dean looked over at you, smiling proudly. "Yeah. She's beautiful, just like Mom."

"How was she, after I left?"

Dean gnawed on his bottom lip, trying to find words to carefully spell out what it was like. He eventually gave up with a sigh.

"Not what matters, Sammy. In a few hours we'll stop at a motel for the night."

Sam said nothing and the car was silent, save for Dean's music, which was uncharacteristically on a low volume. House rules said the music got to be as loud as the driver wanted no matter who was sleeping, and Dean loved his music loud. Sam didn't voice his questions out loud though, instead choosing to stare out of the window.

There were a few times where Sam could've sworn you whimpered, but the second Dean's warm hand touched you, be it by gently rubbing your thigh or grabbing you shoulder for a moment, you were silent again.

What the hell was that all about? Last he checked, you didn't have nightmares.

But it had been a long time, and since then you'd seen many new things. So maybe it was totally normal for an occasional nightmare. Hell, he had them and he'd sworn off hunting an entire two years ago…

Dean pulled into a motel parking lot and found an empty space, pulling in and stretching once he got out, letting out a tired groan as he did. He tucked the keys to the Impala in his pocket and moved to your side of the car, opening the door and crouching down. Normally this would be when Dean plugged your nose to wake you up, and while Sam knew it was a jerk move, he couldn't help but laugh at his older brother's shenanigans to their baby sister.

Needless to say, Sam was surprised when Dean undid your seatbelt and picked you up out of the car.

He looked at Dean and raised an eyebrow. Dean just shook his head. "She hasn't slept this long in a long time. I'm not messing that up."

Sam nodded and they walked inside. The person at the desk looked a bit concerned upon seeing Dean holding a sleeping woman, but said nothing during the transaction. She slipped them their room key and bid them a goodnight, to which the boys did the same, quietly.

"There's only two beds, and no couch." Sam said as they walked to their room, "And there are three of us."

"I figured. It's pretty late." Dean muttered as he carefully laid you down on one of the beds. "I'll bunk with (Name) tonight."

Sam looked at his brother, perplexed. Dean always hated sharing a bed, and would always pout if he had to sleep in the same bed as one his siblings.

"You sure? I know you don't like sharing."

"I'm sure." He mumbled, pulling off your shoes and socks and grabbing one of his shirts from his bag, "I'm not making either one of you sleep on this nasty ass carpet. I'm nice like that."

Sam shook his head and went into the bathroom to get changed, leaving you and Dean alone. He sat you up, shushing you lightly as you began to moan in frustration as you felt yourself being moved.

"It's okay, baby girl. I'm just trying to get you in some more comfortable stuff to sleep in."

You nodded lightly and held your arms up a bit, eyes still closed. He tugged up your shirt and set it to the side, sliding on one of his over your tank top. You pushed your jeans down your thighs and stopped at your calves, already halfway back to sleep. Dean chuckled lightly and pulled them down the rest of the way, tugging the shirt down over your panties and allowing you to lie down. He pulled the covers over your body and kissed your forehead, folding your clothes and shoving them in the duffel bag.

He quickly switched out his jeans for basketball shorts and shed his jacket and t-shirt. Just as Sam came out of the bathroom with plaid pajama pants and a light blue t-shirt, he slid on a black tank top.

They wished each other goodnight and climbed into their respective beds, the lights going off instantly after. Dean laid flat on his back as you curled up on your side, your back to him, and Sam fell asleep nearly instantly, spread eagle as usual.

xXx

Dean was the first awake that morning, which was unusual, to say the least. Usually it was Sam, then you, and then Dean. Regardless of the usual pattern, he sat up and changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a clean black t-shirt, his trademark leather jacket making its way back onto his body. He wrote a quick note and placed it on his pillow, tying on his shoes afterwards. He leaned down and kissed your forehead, pulling the covers back around you snugly.

He quietly left the motel and went to the gas station to get breakfast for the three of you. He could only hope that he'd be back before either one of you woke up…

About five minutes after Dean left was when Sam stirred, groaning as he lifted his head up to look at the bed on the left side of him.

No Dean, but you were still blissfully asleep.

Dean had said you'd been sleeping for an hour before he even got to Sam's apartment, and you were out cold the entire ride to the motel and even when Dean carried you.

How tired were you? He always remembered you being able to sleep like a baby. When you were little you were always first up, and on the days when Dean wouldn't wake up no matter what you did, you'd wake up Sam.

He sighed softly and sat up, running his fingers through his hair. He opened up his bag of clothes and moved to the bathroom for a quick shower. He was drying off his hair as you began to wake up, though you were unaware of his presence.

Sam noticed movement and smiled softly, sitting at the edge of the bed and running his fingers through your hair. You jumped and locked up, deathly silent.

Sam furrowed his eyebrows. He cupped your cheek (Was that a whimper he heard?) and turned your head to look at him.

"(Name)…" He said softly, "It's me."

You flinched and pulled away, fear in your eyes. Your lip trembled as you looked at your brother, tears in your eyes. Sam looked at you, completely perplexed.

"(Name)-"

The door burst open and you jumped again, pulling your knees up to your chest and winding your arms around them, hiding your face as you let out a small, terrified wail. Sam looked up and saw Dean, still confused and now upset.

Dean raised an eyebrow until he looked over and saw you curled up and shaking. He muttered a string of swears before shoving the bags of food into Sam's arms and rushing to your side, pulling you into his arms.

"It's okay, baby, nothin' bad is gonna happen to ya."

You relaxed in his arms and wound your own around him, holding him as tight as you could. Dean kissed your hair and rubbed your back. Sam bit his tongue before standing, putting together his bag and looking at his siblings.

"I'll be waiting at the car."

Dean reached into his jacket pocket and tossed the keys to his brother, saying nothing. Sam tossed one last glance at you two over his shoulder before going to the Impala, trying to understand just what the hell had happened.

You were terrified of him. It was like you had no idea who he was! And even if you were scared at first, you definitely wouldn't have locked up like you did! You'd have his ass pinned down in half a second! He watched as your father and Dean trained you to fight, and while they said it was for demons, Sam knew it was them also making sure you kicked any man's ass that touched you.

Something had changed. He had a feeling that it wasn't a very good one.

He heard foosteps just as he reached the black Impala. He turned to see Dean.

"So, I saw some cop cars headed to that bridge and I think we should-"

"Woah, woah, woah." Sam started, annoyed as he held his hands out, "You can't just act like there isn't a problem here."

Dean shrugged, "What? Dad's missing, we've got a job-"

"And our little sister is nothing like she was two years ago."

Dean swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. He rolled his shoulders back and sighed.

"Sam, we've gotta case to take care of."

"Yeah, I get that, but my baby sister looked like she didn't even know me!" Sam shouted.

"That's because she doesn't." Dean said, hands in his pockets, his green eyes staring hard at the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam blinked, "What. The hell. Do you mean?" He asked, his voice low.

Dean swiped a hand down his face, "Sam, I don't have time to explain it-"

"I don't care, Dean!" He shouted, angered beyond belief. "You don't just forget family like that! Especially when this family is all we've had our whole lives!"

Sam clenched his jaw and curled his fists. What the hell could have happened to just make you forget your big brother?

"Amnesia. Okay?"

"Amnesia." Sam repeated, not totally sure how he felt about that answer.

"Yes." Dean said forcefully, annoyed his brother didn't seem to believe him, "It was a bad hunt. She got amnesia and we did some research. Memories don't always come back."

"Why didn't you do anything? She's not even herself now." Sam whispered.

"Sammy, we gotta talk about this later. (Name's) gettin' dressed and then we'll eat breakfast and be on our way."

"Don't you think we should at least try and remind her?"

"'Course I do. But later. Let's get back in there; I don't like leavin' her alone."

Sam sighed as he followed Dean back to the motel room. Dean made sure you were completely dressed before ushering Sam in.

You had showered while the boys were gone and were currently drying off your hair. Dean moved you down on the bed and sat behind you, grabbing your brush and the towel.

"Dean…" You whispered very softly.

He gently shushed you and began drying your hair, "I didn't get a chance to tell you about him earlier, but better late than never, right?"

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother and focused his eyes back on you. You swallowed thickly and hugged yourself, though you were certainly calmer than you had been fifteen minutes ago. If that ridiculously tall man was here to hurt you, Dean would have taken care of him already.

Dean gently moved the brush through your hair, "Alright baby girl, we've got a case now."

"I know." You said, still in that soft voice.

"That's my girl." He said with a proud smile, finishing the brushing out of your hair and began braiding it.

Sam raised an eyebrow, slightly amused. He remembered when you were little all the times you played with his hair and vice versa and how Dean would pick on him for knowing how to braid hair, and apparently Dean remembered at the exact same time because he looked at Sam.

"Don't you dare say a thing, Sammy."

He laughed lightly and held his hands out innocently. You dared take a glance up at Sam, who looked at you softly.

"Baby girl, this is Sam."

"What's he doing here?"

"He's gonna help us."

"He's helping us look for Daddy?"

Dean nodded and pulled a hairtie off his wrist, "Yep."

"But why?"

Dean licked his lips, ignoring your question as he tied off your hair before moving next to you and sliding the braid over the front of your shoulder. You looked at it with a smile.

"It's pretty. Thank you, Dean."

"Don't mention it, baby. But Sam does a better job than I do."

You glanced at Sam again before your big brother. Dean licked his lips and gestured for Sam to sit on the other side of you. He carefully sat down and resisted the urge to wrap his arms around you and never let go.

"Hi (Name)." He said in a gentle voice.

You carefully wiggled two fingers, "Hi…"

Dean kissed your cheek, "Good job. Think you can speak a little louder for me though? I'm gettin' old, darlin'."

You giggled, "Dean! You're only twenty-six!"

"Yeah, but you're twenty, so I'm old compared to you, little miss."

You shook your head, "You're silly."

Dean smiled softly and then cleared his throat, "Seriously though, baby. I need you to speak up a little bit. It's hard to hear you."

You nodded, "O-okay, Dean."

He looked at Sam, who was utterly confused. Dean had always had this amazing soft spot for you since that horrible day… But he didn't remember him being that tender. Maybe he just didn't pay enough attention...

"Thank you, baby girl."

You turned your head and looked at your other brother, though you definitely hesitated. It was clear you were scared, but also curious. He started to reach out to hold your hand until you flinched and backed into Dean.

"Shh… It's okay, baby." He whispered in your ear, rubbing your arm, "Sam would never hurt you, I promise."

"What makes you so sure?" You asked, looking into Dean's green eyes.

"I'd never let you get hurt. You know that." He said, his voice hard.

You nodded and looked back at Sam. He smiled gently at you.

"I promise, (Name), I'd never hurt you." Sam vowed.

You nodded once, believing his sincerity. You didn't have a reason not to. Hell, he was helping look for your father, and Dean also promised you he wouldn't hurt you.

You and Dean didn't break promises. Ever.

"Okay. We have a case though. I was listening to the radio and there was a crash on the bridge and I think it's one of ours." You said.

Dean grinned, "Saw it on the way to get breakfast. Let's go check it out. After we eat of course. I'm starving."

You and Sam laughed lightly. Dean was always hungry, no matter what. Breakfast was quick and silent, and then Dean threw away everything once you were all done and clapped his hands together.

"Alright, let's hit the road. Sam, give me my keys back."

You nodded once and picked up your bag, only for Dean to take it from you and sling it over his shoulder. He gave you the key to the room and asked you to go check out while he packed the Impala. You nodded and he watched you very carefully once you parted ways.

Dean opened the trunk and tossed the bags in, including Sam's. He closed it and let Sam in the car, though he stood outside next to his side of the car, watching the doors of the office very carefully.

Meanwhile Sam was digging through Dean's music, shaking his head as he did.

"Don't knock my music, Sammy." The older Winchester said, even though his green eyes were trained on the office.

The man just chuckled and shook his head, "You need updates."

"House rules, Sammy. So shut up and put in Metallica for me."

Sam rolled his eyes and you came out of the office, hugging yourself as you walked to the Impala. Dean furrowed his brows and walked up to you, leaving Sam wondering in the car.

"What happened?" He asked you softly, directly into your ear.

You shook your head, but Dean wasn't having it. He stopped outside the back seat and placed his hand on your shoulder, his other hand being used to tip your chin up and look at him.

"What happened?"

"I'm okay." You said softly.

"Promise me?" He asked carefully.

"I promise. I just got the creeps is all." You muttered, "While you and Sam go check out the site, can you drop me off at the library?"

"For what? We haven't checked out the scene yet so we don't know what to look for." Dean furrowed his brows.

"Research. It's a small town, the kind where everyone knows everyone. There's gotta be some local legend. Maybe one that fits whatever happened on that bridge."

Dean grinned widely and kissed your forehead, whooping loudly afterwards. You shook your head with a smile and he opened your door to the Impala, shuffling you in before moving to the seat in front of you.

He cranked up the music and slapped Sam's knee as he revved up the engine and took off.

"Look alive, Sammy! We got a job to do."

xXx

"Something happens, you call me. If I don't answer, you call Sam. Understood?" Dean asked you with full sincerity after Sam put his number in your phone.

"Understood. Be safe, okay? Use the federal marshal badge, and please don't sass the police."

Dean chuckled, "No promises, baby. Sammy here'll try and keep me and check. See you in a bit, and if we aren't here in an hour, you text me to check in."

"Okay. Bye." You waved at them and Dean made sure you were safely in the library before heading to the bridge.

Sam looked at Dean, "I don't think amnesia is gonna cover all of this, Dean. She's totally different."

"I know." Dean said, not looking at Sam, "Eventually I'll tell you everything, but right now we got a case, and we should focus on that."

"She's never been so quiet, let alone the researcher. Dean, what the hell happened to her?"

Dean tightly gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

"Bad hunt." He muttered.

Sam took the hint and stopped asking about it. He'd find out soon enough.

Hopefully.

xXx

"What's wrong, baby?" Dean asked after he and Sam got back in the car, his phone pressed against his ear tightly to pick up any background noises.

_"Nothing. What happened at the bridge?"_

"I'll let Sam explain, I'm driving."

Dean put the phone on speaker and handed it to Sam.

"Well, there's a guy named Troy missing. It was a clean scene; nothing there but his car."

_"Hmm… Well, this happened before about a month ago. Only connection so far I can think of is that they're men. But as I was researching local legends, I came across one that sticks out to me for some reason."_

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked, "What is it?"

_"Apparently there was a woman murdered on Centennial decades ago. Legend has it that she's still there, hitchhiking and whoever picks her up, disappears forever."_

"Anything else?" Sam asks.

_"Well after I read that, I did some more research. I didn't have any luck at first, but then it hit me. Angry spirits come from violent deaths, so I tried 'suicide' instead of 'murder.'"_

"What'd ya get?" Dean asked as he neared the library.

_"It was in 1981. Constance Welch jumped off the bridge and drowned in the river. It also says that an hour before, she called 911. Her kids were taking a bath, she left them alone for a minute, and when she comes back, neither of them were breathing."_

"Hm…" Dean set his jaw, thinking.

_"It shows a picture of her husband next to the bridge. According to him, she couldn't handle the loss of the kids and jumped."_

"Good work, baby girl. We're pulling up to the library now."

xXx  
(That Night)

"Text me when you go to bed. We'll be back by the morning." Dean sat at the edge of the bed you two were sharing.

"Okay. Be safe, please. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…" You said softly, eyes beginning to tear up.

"Hey, hey, hey, no crying. Not on my watch. Sam and I are gonna take care of Constance and that's gonna be that. I'm gonna come back home, and we're gonna find Dad." He wrapped his arms around you tightly and kissed your hair, pulling you as close to him as he could.

You hugged him back just as tight, your head buried in his chest. He rubbed your back and Sam looked on, lost and envious. He didn't know what happened to you besides Dean's extremely vague description of 'amnesia' and 'bad hunt,' and he was starting to wonder if Dean would tell him or not.

The tallest Winchester couldn't help the twinge of jealousy he felt. He'd always been a bit off put about the great connection you and Dean had, especially when he and your father didn't get along, but he never said anything. He knew you both loved him to the end of the world and then some, and he no doubt felt the same, but that didn't stop his jealousy.

In all honesty, Sam wished he could comfort you. He wanted to hold you tight and tell you everything would be perfectly fine, and that they'd find Dad and you'd all be okay.

And he'd have done that if you knew who he was. But you didn't, and he didn't know when you would.

It was sort of an unspoken rule to not tell you just yet. Maybe it was because of the current job, maybe it was for other reasons. But whatever it was, Sam wasn't going to let that hold back the truth forever. He'd missed you more than anything when he left for school, and admittedly he'd thought about calling to check in a few times, but he never did because you were always, always with Dean, and that'd be a recipe for disaster if he found out you'd been talking to the "traitor" of the family.

So he kept his distance, just like Dad said.

"Dean." He said softly, "The sooner we go, the sooner we get back."

"Sammy's right, baby. Watch some TV, finish eating your dinner, take a bath if you want to. I'll text you when we're coming back."

You nodded and pulled out of your brother's embrace. You kissed his cheek and pat his face before looking at Sam.

"Keep my brother safe. He's all I have, besides Daddy."

Sam nodded his head, biting his tongue. "I promise we'll come back in one piece."

You looked back at Dean and he gave you a single nod. He gave you one more hug and kissed your hair.

"Lock this door, you hear me? Check it every hour that you're not sleeping, and don't open it under any circumstances."

"Jeez Dean, you tryin' to make her paranoid?" Sam asked. Dean had always been firm on protecting you and Sam, but this was to the point where Sam was frightened, and he was the one actually going out on the hunt.

"'Course not. Just keeping her alert is all. See you in the morning baby girl." Dean kissed your forehead and shrugged on his leather jacket and picked up his keys, slapping Sam's shoulder.

Sam sighed and looked at you, waving slightly. "See you in the morning, (Name)."

You waved shyly, "Goodbye, Sam. Be careful."

He smiled, "We will be. I-" He bit his tongue to avoid saying something that to you would be inappropriate and weird, but to him would be routine. "I promise we'll be back in one piece." He said again.

You smiled at him and Dean grabbed his arm, pulling him to the door. He winked at you and closed the door tightly, listening to make sure you locked the door and then jiggling the handle after. You peeked through the curtains and smiled at him, waiting for your smile and thumbs up from Dean before moving back to the bed to watch TV and eat dinner.

"What's on your mind, Sammy? Not good, goin' on a hunt when something's messing with your head." Dean commented as they walked to his prized Impala.

Sam shook his head, "Don't worry about it…"

"Come on Sam, just tell me! I won't laugh at ya." Dean said with a crooked smirk, indicating that yes, he'd probably laugh at him.

Sam sighed, "Look, Dean. I have a lot of questions that I know you're not gonna answer."

"Not true. Ask a question, I'll answer it."

"A question? I've got like a million, Dean."

"Yeah? We got time for one, if that. So ask me so we can get the hell outta here."

Sam shook his head slightly, "What happened to her?"

Dean licked his dry lips, "She went out to get breakfast one day, and she got kidnapped by a pack of demons."

"And when was the hunt?"

"I said one question, Sam."

"And I asked another!"

"We gotta go." Dean opened up the door to the Impala and got in, turning the car on and waiting for his brother to get in the car.

Sam just scowled and got inside, glaring out the window the entire ride, ignoring his older brother as he sang along to his music. They drove up to the bridge and began walking along it, and Sam finally broke his silence.

"You really think Dad was here?"

"Well, he was after this, and we're after him, so yeah. I hope so, anyway."

"Dean. I gotta know what happened." Sam said after another bout of silence, "She's done a total 180 from the person I knew. I don't remember her calling Dad 'Daddy' ever since she turned fifteen."

"There a problem being a Daddy's girl?" Dean asked, looking around and away from Sam.

"It's not that, Dean. Something happened to her, and I'd like to know what."

Dean was silent for a while.

"I told you she was kidnapped. Now could you focus on the job and stop asking questions?"

"No! She's my sister too, Dean!"

"So what?" Dean shouted, stopping to turn and look at his brother, "That means you deserve to know? That you get to come in and be her brother again?"

"You're the one that dragged me out here!" Sam shouted back, "You came and guilted me into coming with you, Dean!"

Dean looked away and kept walking.

"Dean! Stop walking away and just talk to me!"

"And what the hell do you want me to say, Sam?" Dean said roughly.

"What you're thinking!"

"You wanna know how I feel?" Dean shouted.

"I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't!"

"I'm pissed, Sam! You left us probably when we needed you most! And now (Name) is scarred for the rest of her fucking life, and this is the first time she's seen you. What's the point of telling her the truth? You're just gonna walk the fuck away once we find Dad, Sammy. Probably gonna try and marry your girl, become a lawyer and have that apple pie life you been dreaming of."

"What's wrong with wanting a normal life?"

"Denial, Sam!" Dean yelled, "You keep denying who you really are. You're a hunter, Sam. That's not a life you can back out on. Believe me Sammy, I want nothing more than for you to have that life you want. The business is fucked up and I want you and (Name) far away from it, but that's not gonna happen!"

"Why is it our job though, Dean? Because of Mom? Dean, I hardly remember what she looks like. Every memory I have of her is fuzzy and I know (Name) only remembers her face because of pictures!"

"Good thing we got a lot of pictures."

"Dean." Sam said softly, "What's the point? Even if we do find it, it's not bringing her back."

The older Winchester grit his teeth and grabbed his younger brother by his collar, slamming him against the railing.

"Don't talk about her like that." He growled.

He let Sam go and walked ahead a few feet before he saw Constance. His anger slipped away, being pocketed in his mind with the rest of the fury he'd been hiding for his entire life.

Sam stood next to Dean, the two of them watching as the woman jumped off. They ran to the edge to see no sign of her.

"Well, Sammy…" Dean started, "We've got a job to finish."

They turned as the lights of the Impala turned on and the black beauty began racing towards them.

"God dammit!"

xXx

"Dean?" You asked, "Why are you covered in mud?"

"Long story." He grumbled, moving past you and into the bathroom for a shower.

You looked at Sam who couldn't help but laugh. He just shook his head.

"Let's just say he doesn't think everything through."

You chuckled lightly and then hugged yourself.

"I, um… I have some more information."

Sam nodded and crouched down in front of where you were sitting on the bed.

"What is it?"

You avoided his hazel eyes, "Don't tell Dean, but… The maid knocked on the door with more towels since the washer was broken until about seven o'clock, and when I opened it she asked me about the reunion."

"What reunion?" Sam asked gently.

"Apparently there was a Burt Aframian that checked a room out for a whole month. We used the Hector Aframian card when we signed into this motel this morning."

"Dad was here…" Sam muttered, now confirming what Dean had already suspected.

"What?" You said, confused.

"Nothing." He said, "Why don't you lay down, it's pretty late."

You nodded slightly, eyes suspicious before you crawled under the covers. Sam sighed and Dean stepped out of the bathroom, pajamas on and clearly annoyed.

"Dean." Sam said, tilting his head towards the motel door before heading outside.

Dean furrowed his brows and placed the towel on his head, drying his hair as he stepped outside with Sam.

"What's going on?"

"Dad checked into this motel, rented his room out for a whole month."

"Do you have the room number?"

"No, but I'm sure you can get it from the girl at the front desk in the morning."

Dean smirked, "Wonder if that's all I can get from her."

Sam rolled his eyes, "Anyway. I say we check out the room in the morning and see if he's there or if there's something in his room that'll help us."

Dean grinned, "That's what I like to hear, Sammy."

xXx

You stepped into the room behind Sam after he picked the lock, looking around at all the work your father had laid out on the walls.

You looked at the back wall, discovering the article you'd found already. You looked at what he'd pinned underneath it and turned to your brothers.

"Daddy figured it out. Constance is a woman in white."

Dean looked at the photos of all the victims, "You sly dogs."

"Daddy would've found her corpse and burned it though. She's gotta have another weakness." You said factually, looking at all of the papers.

"Well let's make sure Dad took care of the body first." Dean said.

You nodded and kept reading the papers while the boys looked at one another.

"Well, I'm hungry. You guys want anything from that diner down the street?"

"No thank you…" You murmured, reading intently.

"Okay, burger for you it is. What about you, Sammy? It's on Burt, today."

"No, I think I'm fine."

"Alright then. I'll be back in a bit."

Dean left the motel room and you looked at Sam, "We need to find an address for her husband."

He nodded and suddenly his phone began ringing. You watched him curiously, listening as he muttered curses and looked out the window. He gestured for you to hide and he slunk out of the way of the window, waiting a few minutes before he looked back out.

He stood and moved over to you, helping you up off the floor, his touch gentle.

"Dean just got arrested."

You sighed and covered your face, "What else is new?"

Sam just laughed and shook his head, "Nothing much, apparently. Let's go see what we can find out about her husband."

xXx

"Sam?" You asked quietly.

He looked down at you as you walked side by side, having just spoken to Constance's husband.

"You and Dean were arguing last night. You said you have an interview on Monday. I thought you were helping us find Daddy…" Your eyes didn't meet his.

He stopped walking and very carefully eased his hands on your shoulders, turning you so you were looking at him.

He noted the lack of trembling beneath his touch.

"(Name), I'm gonna help you and Dean. We're gonna find him, okay? But I have to go to this interview. It's my future."

You nodded, "Okay. I don't suppose Dean is okay with that though."

Sam sighed, "He's not, but he won't stop me."

You smiled softly, "I like you, Sam. I'm not very good with people, besides Daddy and Dean, but… I feel like I can trust you as much as them. I don't know why, but it doesn't even scare me that I feel that way."

"Instincts?" Sam guessed with a smile, "Dean trusts me around you, and enough to find D- your Dad," He corrected himself, "so I guess that's why you trust me."

_Or maybe because I'm your brother._

You smiled at him, "I guess. Now let's go get that idiot I call my big brother out of trouble and finish this hunt up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I'm aiming for rather long chapters with this one. :) There's a lot of ground to cover.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean rolled his eyes as he sat in the chair, handcuffed to the table. The sheriff came in and set a box down on the table, looking at Dean afterwards.

"So you wanna give us your real name?"

"I told you already."

"You're in a lot of trouble here, boy, so I suggest you cooperate. You got the faces of ten missing person's on your wall, and a bunch of Satanic mumbo-jumbo. You're officially a suspect."

Dean gave a sarcastic smile, "Right, right. Makes sense, really, since the first one happened when I was three. Ace detective work there, buddy."

The sheriff narrowed his eyes, "I know you got partners. The tall guy, an older guy, and that girl. She your girlfriend?"

Dean bit his tongue and said nothing. This guy had a lot of nerve…

"Anyway, _Dean_." He picked up a brown leather-covered journal and set it in front of Dean.

He immediately recognized it as his father's. He then wondered how the hell the guy knew his name. He's Ted Nugent, dammit!

"Thought that might be your name." The sheriff said, showing Dean a page with the words DEAN 35-111 on it, circled.

"So tell me what the hell this means."

"High school locker combo."

"Like hell it is. You're staying right here until you tell me the truth."

"Looks like I'm free to go." Dean said with a cocky smile.

The deputy suddenly ran in, "Shots fired on Whiteford Road."

The sheriff groaned and made sure Dean didn't need to use the restroom before he rushed out with the deputy. He looked back at the page, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

What the hell did that mean? He knew what they were, but he'd have to have Sammy or (Name) check it out.

He looked up once he heard footsteps and then he smiled.

"Baby sisters, good for busting their big bros out of jail."

You rolled your eyes fondly and quickly unlocked his cuffs, "And pickpocketing."

Dean rubbed his wrists, "Where's Sam?"

"Fake 911 calls have to be made a ways away. Now come on." You urged quietly.

Dean picked up the journal, "They found this. Do you know what this means?"

You looked at the page, "Well, it means he skipped out on the job, and they're clearly coordinates as always. I'll take a better look later, but right now we've gotta go."

You both used the fire escape, your father's journal safely inside Dean's leather jacket. You rushed away from the station until you figured you were safe.

"So, Sam and I went to talk to her husband. She's buried behind her old house, and Daddy was right about her being a woman in white."

"Dad left Jericho before he could burn the body."

"But why…?" You whispered. Why wouldn't Daddy finish the hunt and meet back up with you and Dean?

"I dunno. First we gotta find Sam and take care of Constance. Well, we gotta get you in a safe spot before Constance. New motel though."

You nodded and walked with your brother, "Can we have dinner first? I'm hungry."

Dean grinned and put his arm around your shoulders, "That's my girl."

You smiled softly and leaned into your brother's side, your arms crossed as you walked. You didn't often feel safe, as that came with the job, but with Dean and your father, you felt like the safest person in the world.

Dean led you to that diner he had planned on visiting earlier in the day. He ordered for the both of you, knowing what you liked as always. You texted Sam to let him know you were getting some food before switching motels.

"I'm sorry we took so long. Joseph wasn't exactly eager to talk to us, plus it took hours just to get an address on him and to find a suit long enough for Sam."

"Don't sweat it, baby girl. Got my fair share of info too."

You nodded and looked out the window at the setting sun, wringing your hands together. Dean looked at you carefully for any signs that you'd been hurt before he gently took one of your hands in his.

"What's goin' on?"

"Dean… I'm worried about Daddy."

"Don't be. We're gonna find him."

"Sam has an interview though. What if he doesn't want to help anymore when we take him back?"

"Then it's just gonna be us."

"Dean… If Sam knows about this, about hunting… Then why is he in college? This isn't a life you can really get away from…"

Your older brother sighed, "Sammy's wanted out since he was a teenager, so he got out. But I need him- we, need him. So let's hope he decides to stick around."

You swallowed thickly and nodded, "Dean… What's his girlfriend's name again?"

"Jess, I think. Why?"

You shook your head, "What does she look like?"

"Blonde, way out of Sam's league. Why?" He asked again.

"Curious…" You mumbled.

The waitress brought over your dinners, preventing Dean from prodding any further. You ate in silence and Dean ordered himself some apple pie afterwards.

"So…" He started, "What's on your mind?"

"The coordinates. I need a map."

"Nice try, but you can't lie to me. What's really on your mind?"

You sighed and rubbed your forehead, "We need to call Sam and finish the job. His interview is tomorrow."

Dean said nothing else and finished up his pie, paying the bill and leaving the diner with you, the sun now down and the moon clear. You pulled out your cell and gave it to Dean once he requested to call Sam.

You listened as they spoke and argued, holding yourself and looking around as you walked with Dean. Your heart rate sped up once Dean began shouting though, your mind going straight to the worst possible scenario.

"Sam? Sam!" He shouted. He pulled the phone from his ear to discover the call had been disconnected, which only made you worry more.

He took your hand and began running, "Listen to me, baby girl. Stay close to me and you'll be fine. I promise you you'll be safe. I think Constance got Sam, so we gotta go."

You nodded and struggled to keep up with Dean, fear taking over you the closer you got to Constance's house. He let go of your hand and pulled out his gun you'd snagged from the police station, running forward to the Impala and shooting Constance before she could kill Sam.

You shrieked and covered your ears, closing your eyes tightly. You watched as Sam drove the Impala through the house, Dean right behind him. You took a few steps closer, though the lack of light made it hard to see what was happening in there.

Though that didn't stop you from seeing the chest come forward and hearing their grunts of pain as it pinned them against the Impala. Tears traveled down your face and you covered your face, entire body shaking.

Your chest tightened and your breathing quickened. Your legs suddenly gave out on you and you sat on the ground, curled up and sobbing. They were hurt, they were gonna die, and then you would die and you'd never find Daddy, and then Daddy would die…

Strong, warm arms wrapped around you and pulled you off of the ground. Soft though slightly cracked lips were on your forehead and your arms and legs wrapped around his body tightly. His fingers moved through your now wavy hair and he gently shook you, as if you were a small, fragile infant.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay…" He murmured into your ear, "I'm fine, Sam's fine, you're fine. We're all okay, no one's hurt, Constance is gone. We're gonna get Sammy some dinner, check out those coordinates and be on the road."

You cried into his neck a bit longer, though they were gradually softening to mere sniffles. He rubbed your back and looked at Sam, who was, needless to say, confused and shocked at the scene he was witnessing.

"If you did something to mess up my car, I'll kill you."

xXx

You examined a map with shaking hands at the diner, where Sam was eating his dinner and Dean was enjoying another piece of pie. Dean sat next to you, his free hand on your knee, gently rubbing his thumb in circles to keep you somewhat calm.

After a while you gently tapped Dean's arm and pointed at the map. He set down his fork and you wiped away some of the pie filling from his face, your hand still shaking. He carefully took your hand and squeezed it.

"Listen to me. We're fine, and there's nothing after us now." He said in a firmly gentle tone, "Calm down for me baby girl, alright? Can't have my best girl passing out on me."

You smiled softly and blushed slightly, nodding your head. "You're the best brother in the world, Dean."

Sam coughed, "So, uh, (Name), about those coordinates…"

"Oh! They… They lead to a place called Blackwater Ridge, Colorado. It's about six hundred miles or so from here."

Dean grinned, "Could make it there by morning if we haul ass."

"Dean..." Sam said, not meeting either of your gazes.

"You're... not going, are you?"

"My interview is in like, ten hours. I gotta be there, Dean."

"Dean, we need to let him go." You said quietly, "He helped us, but now he has to go back to his own life. It's not like anything is really keeping him here with us… He doesn't owe us that."

Dean set his jaw for a moment, looking as if he was arguing with himself. After a moment he relaxed his jaw with a sigh.

"Alright, fine. I'll take you home."

Dean paid the bill and went to the restroom, leaving you and Sam to go wait for him outside of Baby. You looked up at your older brother with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry about him. Really. It's rare we ever work with other hunters, and I guess now I see why."

Sam sighed. He wondered if you'd feel this way if you knew the truth--that he was really your brother, and yeah, he did sort of have an obligation to his family, even if he did leave for school.

He no doubt had problems with your father, and maybe even Dean on a more covered up level, but he was still apart of the family, as family was the only thing the four of you had for a long time.

He couldn't tell you, and for a multitude of reasons. One, would you even believe him? It'd take a lot of convincing, even from Dean, and your mind was already a fragile place, judging by everything he'd seen since he first laid his eyes on you sleeping in the Impala.

How would he explain himself? It wasn't selfish of him to want to live a life away from hunting, but was leaving his family behind in the dust? He and your father fought, often, but at the end of the day he knew his father loved him, loved all of you, because you three were all he had.

But that didn't mean he and your father could just magically get along. He couldn't stick around, hell, he didn't want to stick around. He hated the business, hated always sticking his neck out. He wanted normal.

He was going to get normal.

"It's fine, (Name). Maybe after my interview I can meet up with you guys."

You looked up at him, "Do you mean that, or are you just saying that?"

He took your hand and held it with both of his sincerely, "I mean it. Believe me, I do want you guys to find him. But I've gotta keep my own life in check too."

You nodded slowly and removed your hand from his, "I get it, Sam. Your future is more important than my father."

Sam almost broke down once he heard the sadness and disappointment in your voice. What he'd give to pull you in for a bruising hug, and tell you he loved you more than anything…

"It's not-"

"Let's hit the road!" Dean shouted as he left the diner, surprised when you immediately rushed over to him and held him tight.

He brushed your hair out of your face, Sam watching from a few feet away. He frowned at the distressed look on your face.

"I already told you there's nothing to worry about-"

"Can we just take Sam home, please? So we can get to Colorado?" You interrupted, "I want to find Daddy." You said in a softer voice.

"I know you do baby girl. I do too." His lips brushed against your forehead and he ushered you to the car, opening the door behind his seat and giving you a smile that always put you at ease. You visibly relaxed and he winked before moving into his own seat, Sam already sat down beside him.

Sensing this ride would be a quiet one, Dean put on one of his favorite albums and began the drive back to Stanford.

xXx

Dean pulled Baby in front of the apartment building Sam lived at, watching as he got out of the car, his bag in hand. He leaned down and looked at Dean.

"Call me if you find him?"

Dean nodded, "Yeah, alright. Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"We made a hell of a team back there."

"Yeah…" Sam said softly.

He looked at the backseat, where you were solving one of many word searches in a book of them your father bought for you. He sighed.

"Goodbye, (Name)."

"Goodbye Sam. Good luck at your interview." You said, not meeting his eyes. You shifted uncomfortably, your eyebrows pushed together, seemingly frustrated.

He bit the inside of his cheek and looked at his older brother, "See ya, Dean."

"Later, Sammy."

Sam stepped back from the car and Dean drove off, leaving Sam to go inside, a slight weight in his heart.

xXx

Dean looked at you in the review mirror, his brows crinkled together.

"You seem... worried."

"Dean… Dean we have to go back."

"Baby-"

"Dean, we have to!" You shouted.

Dean instantly turned around and headed back to Sam's apartment complex. That was loudest you'd been when speaking to him since the hunt that changed it all, and it honestly scared him a little bit.

You tore out of the Impala, Dean right on your heels. He kicked open the door to the apartment, calling out for his brother. You opened up doors, trying desperately to find the bedroom.

"Please, please… _Please_ let it be just a dream…" You whimpered to yourself.

You and Dean both heard the yelling and your brother kicked open another door. You rushed in to find Sam on his bed and Jessica on the ceiling, her stomach cut open, her blood dripping directly onto Sam.

Your body went numb and you felt weak in the knees.

Jess burst into flames and you screamed, covering your eyes from the initial burst of light. Dean took action immediately, picking you up over his shoulder and pulling on Sam's arm.

"Come on, Sam!"

" _No_!" Sam yelled, looking up at woman he loved, "Jess!"

"Sam!" Dean shouted, pulling Sam off the bed and shoving him towards the door, taking care not to let something hit you at the same time.

He got the both of you out just as flames engulfed the entirety of the apartment, burning everything inside.

By the time Dean had you calmed down and in the backseat laying down, the firemen and the police had shown up, keeping back any bystanders from the scene. He looked over at his younger brother and cautiously approached him as he loaded a shotgun, looking at the scene with a vengeful expression.

He tossed the loaded gun into the trunk and closed it, not looking at his brother.

"We got work to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is short! I wanted to continue it, but I felt like stopping it where the episode stopped would just add to the effect of the story. I'll try to update again soon, but now that I've finished this chapter, I really need to get to work on my AP homework.
> 
> I'm sorry guys, but homework has to come first sometimes. It shouldn't take too long, but then again it might. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!
> 
> <3


	4. Chapter 4

You tried to ignore the sounds of Sam's sobs as you laid next to your brother, who was sound asleep. You closed your eyes tightly and tried to ignore the burning sensation in your throat and nose.

This was Sam's time to cry, not yours.

He was hell-bent on revenge, but he was also grieving and full of guilt. He should've been there to protect her, to save her from the thing that mutilated her like it did…

Then again, you and Dean should have been there too. But you were too late, all because you didn't take the dreams seriously enough.

And now Jessica was dead, and Sam was an emotional wreck.

The only silver lining you could find was that at least Sam was more willing to search for your father now, because supposedly this was the same thing that killed your mother.

Your mother…

According to Dean, she died when you were six months old and ever since then, Daddy had been trying to find the demon. Daddy didn't like to talk about your mother, and in fact when you had asked about her he stormed out of the motel, leaving Dean to explain what happened, though when he came back hours later when Dean had fallen asleep, he told you something that not even Dean knew, which was the first of many things that brought you closer together.

_You looked up from the book you were reading and watched your father kick off his boots and shed his leather jacket. He let out an audible sigh and laid down on his bed adjacent to the one you and Dean decided to share since there was no couch and the heating wasn't all that great in the first place._

_You looked back at your book but pretended to be reading at that point. You kept sneaking sideways glances at your father, trying to decipher how he was feeling. You didn't know how much time had gone by, but you'd come no closer to figuring it out._

_It'd been silent (minus Dean's rather obnoxious snoring) ever since your father laid down, so you felt you were totally within reason when you jumped at the sudden speaking._

_"Come over here, baby."_

_You looked over at your father, who was looking at you. He had moved over to make space for you, his arm out, waiting. You set your book down on the side table in between the beds and slid in next to him, curling up to his side. He wrapped his arm around you protectively and gently kissed your forehead._

_"I'm sorry." He said quietly._

_You looked up at him, "For what?"_

_"A lot of things. But for now I'll settle with what happened earlier. I shouldn't have done that."_

_"It's okay, Daddy. Dean told me everything."_

_He sighed, "That's the thing, baby. I should be the one telling you, not your brother. I can't just run away when you ask a question."_

_"Daddy, I understand-"_

_"You're my little princess, (Name). You've been a Daddy's Girl since you were in the womb."_

_"I have been?"_

_John smiled softly and looked at you, "Mhm. I remember when your mom was pregnant with you. She was about four months in and she hadn't felt any activity and she was scared, because your big brother moved around a whole lot, but you… You didn't kick until I held her baby bump and gave you a kiss. You kicked right where my hand was."_

_You smiled, "Really?"_

_"Really." He said, his eyes soft as he looked into yours, "Every time you heard my voice or even felt my hands, you were practically trying to come out right then and there. Every day I'd come home from the garage and kiss Mama's belly… And you'd be kickin' for me."_

_You giggled and held him tightly, "Makes sense… I love you, Daddy."_

_"I love you too, baby." John whispered, pulling you closer, "I really, really do love you. And I'm sorry I didn't protect you…" He broke off, his throat tightening up and the familiar burning sensation in his nose appearing._

_You swallowed thickly and looked into John's wet eyes, "Daddy, please. Don't blame yourself-"_

_"I never should have let you hunt alone."_

_"Dean said I was more than capable, Daddy."_

_"I thought you were… But then that… Monster ripped you apart… And I should've been there to stop it. It's my responsibility to take care of you, to protect you, and I didn't."_

_"Daddy, please. You can't keep hating yourself for this." You whispered, your eyes overflowing with tears at the memories._

_"It took your innocence, baby…" A tear fell down his aged face, "I'll never forgive myself."_

_You sniffed and held you father tighter, hiding your face in his chest, your tears wetting his shirt. He cried softly with you, angry at himself and the world for all the circumstances that had been thrown his way._

_He rubbed your back, calming you down from all the feelings that overtook your body. You sniffed again, though the tears were now long gone. He took your hand in his and held it tightly._

_"I can't promise that bad things won't happen or that I'll always be here when you need me. But I can promise that I love you and I will fight to protect you until the day I die."_

_You leaned up and kissed your father's cheek, "I love you too, Daddy."_

_You snuggled closer to him and he pulled the blanket up over you both, leaning over to turn off the lamp and relax on the bed, his arm around you still and both of yours around him._

_Dean had never seen a more precious sight._

You carefully moved away from your brother, pulling the covers back over him as you slipped out of them. You adjusted his shirt so that it covered you and moved over to Sam's bed.

His back was to you as your knee initially made his bed dip in, though he turned on his back afterwards, looking up at you. You put your finger over your lips and gently shushed him before he could say anything, and laid down next to him.

You wrapped your arms around his warm body tightly, burying your face in his side. He turned on his side and wrapped his long arms around you tightly, burying his face in your hair.

"Thank you." He mumbled, his voice hoarse.

You leaned up and kissed his wet cheek, "It's okay, Sam. Daddy… He's gonna help."

He could only sniff and hold you tighter, his lips lightly pressing against your forehead. You buried your head in his chest and you both fell asleep that way, no nightmares coming to either of you.

Dean had only ever seen one sight as precious as that.

xXx

A week had passed since Jess' death. You and your brothers had searched the campus, literally, from bottom to top. You and Dean kept your distance from the funeral, waiting in the Impala and watching, since both of you felt an immense amount of guilt, though for different reasons entirely.

Dean, for pulling Sam away from Stanford in the first place. It was obviously his idea to seek Sam out, and because Sam was gone, Jessica was alone and vulnerable. Part of him knew (but refused to acknowledge the fact) that it wasn't his fault, and that Sam wouldn't have been able to go up against the demon. It was one bad mother (also the one that killed their mother) and it probably would have killed Sam too.

You, however, felt guilt for a multitude of reasons. You shouldn't have been angry with Sam for wanting to go to his interview. It was selfish of you to expect him to forget about it to find your father. You were lucky he'd even agreed to come along for as long as he did.

And then there was the issue with Jessica.

You saw her death. Not just in person, **_but in your dreams._**  Many nights in a row you'd had that nightmare and you just hadn't understood it. It was so different from the usual nightmares or dreams that you had. It more real, more vivid…

Like a vision.

But you hadn't taken it seriously until it was too late. And now… Now Jess was dead, Sam's life was basically ruined, and maybe, just maybe, it could have all been prevented.

Of all the times you really needed to have a heart to heart with Daddy, now was the time…

You were currently in the bathroom of the motel you and the boys were staying at for the night. Sam and Dean had passed out an hour ago, and it took you fifteen minutes to get out of Dean's death grip. (He'd never admit it, but when he was cold, he'd cuddle you all night if he needed to.)

You took a deep breath and opened your phone, dialing your father's number and pressing the black phone to your ear. You gnawed on your bottom lip and looked at yourself in the mirror, the dingy motel lighting making you look like crap, if you did say so yourself.

You swore under your breath as you heard your father's voicemail message. You waited for the beep and spoke softly.

"Daddy… Please. I need you. I-I don't know where you're at and it scares me. I've got Dean, a-and I guess Sam now, but… But they aren't you. I need to talk to you about something and I can't tell Dean because he's just… He'd look at me funny and poke fun at it and think I'm some freak… Please, Daddy."

The beep went off again just as you finished your plea to your missing father. You sighed and closed the phone, turning the light off and heading back out into the dark bedroom.

Once the phone was placed on its charger once more, you curled up back in the bed you were sharing with Dean. Nearly instantly his arms were around you, pulling you closer to him so he could steal your warmth, something he'd done since you were little, according to your father.

"Where'd… y'go.." He slurred.

"Turns out your personal heater is also a human being and occasionally has to pee." You sassed quietly.

Dean grumbled, "I don't remember you being this sassy... Sammy's a bad influence."

You giggled lightly, though it was a bit of a hollow laugh. Dean kissed your temple and rubbed your back.

"You've been off, lately."

"What do you mean?"

"I see the looks you give Sam. You look guilty, like you had some kinda part in Jess' death. And I know you didn't, so that's what I don't get." Even though it was dark in the room, you could see those bright green eyes staring down at you, concerned and confused.

"I just… I feel bad. His girlfriend died, and… That's the girl he was gonna marry, y'know? He was gonna be some rich lawyer, and have a nice life that you and I only get to daydream about."

Dean sighed, "Look, baby girl, Sam… That life isn't for him anyway."

"And who are you to say that?" You whispered.

**_His older brother._ **

"An old friend. Go to bed, baby. We got a lotta work to do tomorrow."

He released you from his hold and turned on his other side, his back facing you. You sighed and looked over at Sam, who even as he slept looked troubled. Not that you could blame him.

Sam felt just as guilty as you and Dean. Jessica never knew about the hunting life, about the monsters that actually were in the closet or under the bed. And by the time she found out, it was already too late for her.

Of course, none of you were willing to admit your feelings of guilt to the other two Winchesters. They'd be quick to downplay the guilt, stating that it wasn't the other one's fault and then quickly change the subject.

You closed your eyes in hopes of getting a decent night's sleep, but you weren't counting on it.

xXx

You frowned at the map as you sat in the backseat. Dean glanced at you in the review mirror before looking back at the road, Sam asleep beside him.

"What's goin' on back there, baby girl?"

"These coordinates… They're just woods. I trust Daddy, but… Why send us to the middle of the woods?"

"I have no idea. But, Dad wouldn't send us without a reason, so the middle of the woods we go."

You nodded and yawned, wiping your eyes in a way that reminded Dean of when you were only a toddler. He smiled fondly.

"Go to sleep, baby. We've got about two and a half hours before we're there."

You nodded sleepily and laid out in the back seat, curling up and pulling your favorite blanket over you. John had wrapped you up in it many nights and told you a story or two about his life. It always got a bit… Weird, once he got around to yours and Dean's age gap. You weren't sure what it was, but something was always off when it came to the early days of you and Dean. Like something was missing, like he was purposely leaving something out…

You knew the boys were hiding something from you. That much was obvious to even an outsider. The looks they shared, the shushed arguments, the way they cut themselves off sometimes when speaking around you...

You had your suspicions. Hell, you'd been suspicious of John and Dean's secret before you even knew who Sam was. And now that he was in your life, you only felt more wary. You loved and trusted your father and brother with all of your heart, but it wasn't like Dean to keep a secret from you. It was more normal for John to hide things, though late at night whenever he was with you and your brother, once Dean was fast asleep, he'd answer every question you had, truthfully. Questions Dean didn't have the answers to because…

Dean simply didn't ask questions.

That only made you worry even more. And with that worry, mixed with your guilt and not only your nightmares about Jessica, but your usual routine nightmares...

Sleep wasn't something you got much of.

You closed your eyes and fell asleep, each little fear and worry clouding your mind.

xXx

You and Sam woke with a start simultaneously, causing Dean to raise an eyebrow at the both of you.

"That's not creepy at all. You alright?"

Sam looked away, "Yeah. Fine."

Dean glanced at you in the mirror, "Baby girl?"

"'M okay…" You mumbled, wiping your eyes again.

"Got some drool on your face." Dean teased.

"Shut up…" You wiped your face, cringing when you realized he wasn't lying. "Are we almost there?"

"'Bout forty-five minutes out."

You nodded and picked up your word search book, moving onto a new puzzle. Dean glanced at you and then looked over at Sam.

"Wanna drive?"

Sam slowly looked over at Dean, perplexed.

"What?"

"Just thought you'd wanna drive. Never mind."

Sam sighed, "Dean, I know you're worried about me."

"Bit of an understatement there, Sammy."

"I get it, and thanks, but I'm totally okay."

"Sure you are. Not like your girlfriend was brutally murdered or anything. Na, you're fine." Dean quipped, eyes on the road.

Sam rolled his eyes, "So where are we?"

"Just outside Grand Junction."

Sam nodded. He sat still for a moment, thinking. He sighed and looked at Dean.

"We shouldn't have left Stanford so soon."

"Sam, we dug around for a week and we didn't find anything. If you wanna find the demon that killed Jessica-"

"We gotta find Dad. I know Dean."

Both of their eyes widened and Sam looked back at you, Dean using the rearview mirror. You were deep into your word search, oblivious to the world. Still, Dean felt the need to ask.

"Baby girl?"

You looked up, "Yeah?"

"How's that puzzle?"

"Frustrating. Daddy did all the easy ones." You pouted.

"Bet you, uh, tuned out for a bit then, huh?"

You nodded, "Yeah. Why, were you trying to tell me something?"

"Nope. Got about thirty-five, forty minutes until we're there is all."

You nodded and looked down at your puzzle, the boys sighing in relief.

Too bad you did hear Sam slip up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's short! I got a piece of my homework done and decided I could update again. I've got one more assignment to do and then I'm all done! :D


	5. Chapter 5

John closed his phone and pressed the side of his fist to his forehead, conflicted. He hated being away, being "missing," but it was better that way. He didn't want any of his children anywhere near Yellow Eyes. He was desperate to call you and Dean back, eager to hear the stories you two had for the recent hunt you'd been on without him. He wanted to see Sam and apologize for the shitty things he said that he could never mean.

He just didn't know what to do. He had a feeling he knew what your problem was, and it scared him down to his very core. He didn't know why his children were damned, why they were cursed. All he'd ever wanted was to have happy children with wonderful childhoods and a magnificent bond between his kids and himself.

Instead he got a dead wife and a front row seat of the most horrible things, things he couldn't even believe were real. He and the kids were forced to live a nomadic life. Dean had a ton of weight on his shoulders, Sam had a horrible amount of hatred to his own father, and his baby girl…

Oh that poor baby.

John held a strong amount of contempt toward himself, but nothing, _nothing_  made him feel like the worst father alive than the thought of his only daughter. She'd been so strong, so wonderful, so god damn perfect…

And then she'd been ruined, torn apart, unable to be pieced back together like she was before. And he found her too late…

 _Way_  too late…

He'd never forgive himself. He should have never let her hunt by herself, never. Hell, he didn't even want Dean hunting alone. Matter of fact, he never wanted his children to hunt unless it was a god damn deer, not a mother fucking werewolf.

John closed his eyes and took a deep breath, shutting the phone off before he did something he'd regret the second his poor children came to find him and ultimately got hurt by the demon he'd been hunting half his life.

Fucking demons…

xXx

You shook your head as your older brother-- _One_  of your older brother _s_ \-- obsessed over a picture with a large bear in it. He'd basically ignored Sam as he spoke of the terrain that surrounded Blackwater Ridge, and your arms were crossed as you mulled over the situation.

Sam was your brother. Not an old friend, but family.

Why was he a mystery to you? Why had you never known? You'd heard muted conversations between your father and Dean and heard "Sam" murmured a time or two. Of course, you'd never thought anything of it. Many names had been spoken between the men before and there was never a reason for you to suspect anything specific about this "Sam" guy.

Admittedly, you'd had a sneaking suspicion that Sam was family. After his comment about "Dad" being at the motel, it was hard not to think of the possibility. It was mostly wishful thinking. You loved Dean and absolutely adored your father, but another brother?

That'd be a dream come true. Only a mother could beat that.

You sighed rubbed your temples. When were they going to tell you? Were they ever going to tell you? Why wouldn't they?

You slipped your cell phone out of your pocket and dialed for your father, walking a few yards away from the boys as a ranger approached them. You dialed his number, fully expecting the tone of his voicemail again.

_"(Name)?"_

You could have fainted.

"Daddy?" You whispered.

He sighed in relief, as if there was a certain pain that suddenly dissipated. _"Baby girl…"_

"Are you hurt?"

_"I'm fine, I promise."_

"Where are you?" You asked desperately.

_"I can't tell you, baby."_

"But Daddy-"

_"Listen to me, sweetheart. I can't tell you where I am. How are you and your brother? Sam?"_

"They're fine-- Daddy, it's not like you to just disappear like this."

 _"I know…"_  He sighed, _"But I caught wind of something bigger, something more important. I had to leave the case with you and your brother."_

"Daddy… Sam…"

_"What about him, baby?"_

"Uh… He's worried about you too."

_"… He is?"_

"Yes."

It was silent for a moment.

_"Stop trying to find me, (Name). It's not safe."_

"Dad-"

_"I love you and your brother. Sam too. Stay as safe as you can, all of you. Goodbye, (Name)."_

And before you even had a chance to respond, he was gone. Slowly you closed the phone, stuffing it into your pocket.

Winchesters, you got some 'splaining to do…

xXx

John hadn't instructed you to hide the fact he'd spoken with you, but nevertheless you kept it to yourself. Things were already messy and the last thing you needed was your two _large_  older brothers hounding you about it.

Especially not Dean, given how close he and John were. You'd definitely be getting a cold shoulder if he found out.

Besides, they'd all kept a secret from you. It was fair, wasn't it? The boys didn't need to know about the call, and none of them needed to know you knew Sam was your brother.

So why did you feel so guilty?

You pondered everything as you showered at the motel. Sam and Dean had gone out to speak with the sister of the supposedly missing guy, while you quietly requested to stay at the motel to get the sleep you hadn't been getting.

Your head was absolutely pounding by the time you got out of the shower and changed into one of Dean's t-shirts. Using the laptop proved to be a painful task, and while you wanted to research the area and any weird disturbances lately, the blurred vision and excruciating pain made it impossible.

Turning off the lights and lying down didn't help, and neither did rubbing your throbbing temples. You felt nauseated and weak, eyes watering and throat going dry. Had you caught a bug while passing through?

Your eyes were overflowing with tears by the time Sam and Dean showed up at the motel again. Dean's senses were immediately on high alert as soon as he entered the dark room. He pushed past Sam and turned on the lamp upon hearing your shrill cries.

"(Name)!" He moved onto the bed, pulling you into his lap and checking you for injuries.

You covered your damp face, "S-stop! It hurts!"

"What hurts, baby girl? What hurts?" Your oldest brother inquired.

"My head…" You broke off into more sobs, while Sam got the message and turned off the lamp, sitting on his bed and rubbing his own temples.

Dean gently rocked you back and forth, humming lightly and occasionally kissing your forehead. He continued on for nearly an hour, not stopping even when the urge to piss came on strong.

He gently laid you down once you were sleep, kissing your forehead very gently before rushing to the bathroom to relieve his bladder.

Sam reached over and turned on the light, his headache a sort of background noise for the time being. Dean came out of the bathroom a moment later, wiping his damp hands on his jeans and sitting on the bed he was sharing with you, blocking the light from your sleeping body.

He gently ran his fingers through your hair and looked at Sam, "You two keep getting headaches. What's up with that?"

"I don't know." Sam answered honestly, "But mine haven't been as bad as hers."

Dean looked down at you, "Can't catch a fucking break…"

"Maybe it's stress? We've all been pretty fried lately."

"Could be." Dean went silent as he looked down at you.

Even in your sleep you looked troubled, and damn was he tired of seeing that. Once, just once, he'd like to see some sort of serenity as his tortured sibling slept.

xXx

Yellow eyes.

A disgusting feeling overcame you as they scanned you, looking as if they were pulling every single bit of you apart. It almost seemed as if they pitied you. Now why would those horrifying, piss-yellow eyes feel _sorry_  for you?

They stared, and stared, and stared…

xXx

You slept throughout the night, waking up at the crack of dawn, Sam and Dean sleeping soundly. The headache had vanished and you actually felt good and full of energy.

The brown leather notebook on the little dresser between the beds caught your eye in the faint glow of sunlight that was just barely beginning to seep in. You slipped out of bed and grabbed it, heading over to sit by the window and investigate any information about Blackwater Ridge in your father's journal.

One, two three… A total of _nine_  articles clipped and stashed into the journal, all regarding disappearances in the area. You read one of the headlines and shook your head.

"Grizzly attack my ass…" You murmured.

Within seconds you had Sam's laptop in your own lap and there was a page-worth of info on the place. Your eyes narrowed as you searched for the pattern.

"Always, always a pattern with the supernatural…"

You jumped slightly once you heard a groggy voice.

"Every twenty-three years…"

Sam stood from his bed and stretched, letting out a large yawn before moving next to you. Large hands moved his computer from your lap to his and quick fingers pulled up a video.

"How ya feeling?" He asked quietly.

"Better…" You muttered, "A lot better than last night."

"Good, good… I was pretty worried. We both were."

"I'm fine now." You assured.

He looked down at you with a tired smile, "I'm glad."

You smiled back and snaked your arms around his waist, his warmth enveloping your entire body as he hugged you back.

"What's that video?" You asked, cheek pressed against his side.

"A video Tommy sent to Haley. Check it out."

He played the video twice.

"Did you see the shadow?" He asked.

"I think I did… It was really, really fast though…"

He nodded and slowed it down, "Three frames. That's a fraction of a second."

"Oh my god…" You whispered. "What the hell is that thing?"

Sam shrugged, "We don't know yet. But we'll take care of it and get back to looking for… him."

You stayed silent for a moment, "Hey Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"… How did you slow the video down?"

He smiled and walked you through the process, teaching you little tips and tricks he knew. He even made a silly little video with you and did some special effects, and as a result of your laughter, the sleeping bear you both called your older brother woke up.

"What time is it…?" He grumbled, sitting up and wiping his eyes.

"Almost seven o'clock."

"Hm… The hell are you two doin'?"

"Sammy's just teaching me cool computer things." You answered with a cheery smile.

Dean smiled softly and stood, walking over and flicking Sam's ear before kissing your forehead, "Feelin' better?"

"Uh-huh!" You said with a big grin.

"Good. I'm gonna take a shower and we'll head out to get some food, and then we'll figure out what the hell this thing is and see if we can't kill it."

Dean grabbed a towel and a pair of jeans, whistling a Zepplin song as he entered the bathroom, leaving his younger siblings alone.

Sam closed his laptop and set it aside. You gave him another big hug, "Thanks Sam, for teaching me all that stuff."

He returned the hug with a crushing squeeze, "You don't ever need to thank me for teaching you. Kinda my job…"

You smacked a big kiss on his cheek and stood, moving over to your suitcase and pulling out jeans and an old t-shirt that your father said was your mother's favorite. How he had it after the fire you had no idea, but stranger things had happened before.

Sam had a smile on his face as he went outside to allow you to change in private, and frankly he wore it the rest of the morning.

You were still his baby sister, and he was going to do everything he could to be your big brother. He owed that to you, didn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I can't believe this took me two months and is half as long as I wanted these chapters to be.
> 
> I started my senior year, and I'm taking an AP course, so I do have homework I need to do. I'm also taking physics, and for fuck's sake I'm so bad at it! I've always done a pretty good job in school, but holy shit am I disappointed in myself. My first term just ended and I had an A in everything but physics. I GOT A FUCKING C.
> 
> I'm so mad.
> 
> Anyway, that is the main reason this has taken so long. I've gotten into Gears of War (again) and Baird just took over my life. He's basically Tony Stark in another universe, so that's probably why. But whatever, Damon Baird is love, Damon Baird is life, and Damon Baird is HOT.
> 
> I promise it will not take another two months to update this, and it won't be as crappy as this chapter.
> 
> Forgive me, please.
> 
> UPDATE: Well, as someone so lovingly called me out on my bullshit, here we are. No, I have not updated since October. And no, that was not the plan. But I'm increasingly preoccupied with schoolwork, and even with my first semester over, I don't see myself getting a shit ton more time to write. As you may possibly be aware of, I'm taking an AP course, which normally wouldn't be so bad, but it's English Literature. As in, I have novels to read, analyze, fill out packets for, and write essays on. That shit's so time consuming. And I'm sure some of you are all, "Oh fuck you, Liz. You've been spitting out Baird stories left and right. Who the fuck cares about that shit?" I do. And, if you'll take a look, they aren't long at all. They're stupid little oneshots that required like thirty minutes to write, for the most part. A couple of them were rather time-inducing, sure, but so what? I can write whatever I want to write. Like, I've started my own original novel, actually.
> 
> And honestly, I haven't watched Supernatural in months. I'm on Season 5 right now, and I do enjoy the show and characters, but I just haven't watched it like I did before. Right now I'm watching Criminal Minds most nights with my sister. I'll get back into it eventually. But the next chapter has been started, and while the word count is only at 633, it'll be picked up again soon.
> 
> I recently got my DeviantART account back, and I've posted this story there as well, so with demands from here and there (Tumblr doesn't give two fucks about me) I'll write more often for it. I've got the document open, but until I get this eulogy for AP done, I'm not writing anything in it. However, the eulogy is one of the easier projects, so it shouldn't take too long to do. And I've also got tomorrow off (I also did today, but I was working on a new Marvel story, which, by the way, I've neglected just as much as Supernatural.) so I'll be able to write tomorrow as well, work-free. Just be patient, please. I've already got pressure from school and home, I don't need it here too. It'll all work out in the end.
> 
> Much love~
> 
> Liz.


	6. The One Where Liz Updates

"So before we got back to the motel, we talked to Haley. She said she hired a guy to go through the woods with her today, so we're tagging along to make sure no one else goes missing." Sam filled you in, sitting at the edge of his bed.

You nodded as you brushed your hair up into a nice ponytail, "Got it. Did you talk to that one survivor?"

"Yeah," Dean piped up from across the room, cleaning your seldom used gun, "he didn't think it was a grizzly, and neither do we. He made it out with three nasty scars across his collar though."

"Whatever this thing is, it's fast and it's smart. It unlocked the cabin door Shaw was staying at." Sam said.

"So it's corporeal." You muttered, "Which means we can kill it. Well, you two can kill it while I stay behind and do some reserch."

"Actually, I'd rather you be by our side this time, baby girl."

Your neck nearly snapped as you looked at your brother, "What?!"

Dean moved to you and placed his hands on your shoulders, looking into your eyes. "Baby, I know it's scary and we don't even know what it is, but it's not like you haven't been hunting before."

You nodded, calming down. "Okay... Okay."

He gave you a half-grin and pinched your cheek, "There's my girl. Just stay by mine or Sam's side, keep your gun at the ready and you'll be fine. We're gonna get this skinwalker or whatever the hell it is and keep looking for Dad."

He turned you around and pulled the back of your jeans, slipping your gun into your waistband and pulling your jacket over it. You turned back around and he winked at you, bringing out a smile from you. Dean sat next to Sam on the bed while you went back to the mirror.

"We can't let Haley go out there." Sam said.

"And how exactly are we gonna accomplish that?"

"I don't know, we'll figure something out. Tell her it's too dangerous. Just… something."

"Yeah, sure. We'll just tell her the Big Bad Wolf took her brother. That'll slide, right?"

"Dean, you know it's dangerous. Are you seriously just gonna let her go out there? Are you insane?"

"Jury's out." You muttered.

Dean made a face at you, reaching up and swishing your ponytail. He looked back at Sam.

"Sam, we don't even know what it is."

"All the more reason to keep her away from that forest!"

"Sam, look. She's not just gonna sit back knowing her brother is missing, possibly dead."

The room went silent after that, Sam and Dean glaring at one another. You looked between the both of them, hands on your hips. You shook your head and picked up a duffel bag, packing all the food Sam and Dean had picked up upon your request.

"If you two would stop fighting, that'd be nice…" You said, your back turned to them. "We have a missing person to find… And as soon as we do, we can get back to our other missing persons…"

Dean looked away from Sam, standing and picking up another duffel bag, heading outside to load it with weapons from the trunk. You sighed deeply and closed the bag, looking over at Sam.

If looks could kill, the wall he was staring at would've been gone.

"Sammy?"

He looked over, expression softening considerably. He stood and within a few long strides was right next to you, the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. You looked up, wondering how the hell he was so tall.

Sam placed a large hand on your shoulder, "We should get in the car and see if we can catch up with Haley, see if we can't stop her."  
  
You licked your lips and followed him, unsure of why your brothers were fighting like this. What was the point? There were things to do, people to find. What the hell was the point of arguing?  
  
xXx  
  
"I'm sure we pass as rangers." You grumbled, "No, this is a great alias. We're rangers, who happen to be wearing _jeans_."  
  
Dean rolled his eyes in the front seat of the Impala, "Stop complaining."  
  
"I don't like the forest."  
  
"I know."  
  
"There's Haley and her brother." Sam said, changing the subject.  
  
The siblings were talking with a man, presumably the one Haley had hired to search for her brother. He and Haley seemed to already have tension between them, as her hands were on her hips and her neck was out at an odd angle, just daring him to keep pressing the issue. The boys stepped out of the car, Dean opening up your door and grabbing your hand to pull you out while Sam went for the trunk, pulling out the duffel bags. Three sets of eyes slid to look at the three of you, all of them suspicious. (Though one of them seemed to take an interest in you.)  
  
The three of you approached them, Dean's hand on the small of your back and Sam leading the pack. Haley rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Mind if we tag along?" Dean said with a smile, "Brought another cutie pie to battle all this testosterone."  
  
"Who are they?" The guide asked.  
  
"Is that your girlfriend?" Ben asked, staring at Dean's arm.  
  
Each of you stared at the kid, Dean's eyebrows furrowing, "You're less creepy when you're quiet."  
  
Haley moved on, "These guys are supposedly rangers. Bottom of the barrel, if you ask me. I don't know who the girl is; probably his girlfriend."  
  
Sam passed by the group, not in the mood for the the bullshit. Dean made a face. Since when the hell was Sam the type to kick ass and takes names never? His hand slipped from your back and he stood straight, looking at the guide.  
  
"Name's Dean."  
  
"Roy. _You're_ rangers?"  
  
"You know it. Say, you wouldn't happen to be the Marquess of Pherae, would ya?"  
  
"You're in biker boots and jeans? For _hiking_?" Haley was stunned at his attire for a so called ranger, along with you and Sam, though you wore Chucks instead of boots, which would most likely end up being a horrible decision.  
  
You looked up at Dean, eyebrow raised in your I-told-you-so manner. He scrunched his nose up a bit and flicked your nose, "I don't do shorts, you know this."  
  
He took your hand and followed after Sam, the guide apparently quite shocked at Dean's attitude towards everything. What the hell? This girl's brother could be dead!  
  
"This isn't a joke. It's dangerous, and their brother is out there."  
  
"I think I can safely say that I know just how dangerous this shit can be. Look, we want to help, so we're gonna do just that. Feel free to tag along."  
  
Roy slipped up to the front as the "rightful" leader of the group while Sam was bringing up the rear of the pack. Ben originally was behind you and Dean, but upon Sam informing Dean that the young one's eyes were where they didn't belong, he was quickly pushed up in front next to his sister, who gave him a disgusted look before changing her gaze onto the nature of the woods.  
  
Dean, however, couldn't take the weird, tense silence for very long. Nature was okay, but human interaction was better. "So Roy... You do a little hunting?"  
  
"More than a little." He said smugly.  
  
Sam rolled his eyes. The hell was the point of this?  
  
"Hmm... And what uh, furry critters do you hunt? Harmless little rabbits?" He teased, a slight trace of venom lacing his words.  
  
"Buck. And bear too."  
  
Dean stopped, allowing Sam to take your side before stepping ahead of the pack, so he could tease the guy a little more. It was fun, watching men try and act all macho when he knew they'd run like a scared little bitch if they dealt with the things he'd seen and killed. "So, they ever try and hunt you back?"  
  
_'Cause fuck knows they've been hunting me back._  
  
And before he could tease him any longer, Roy's arm was slung across Dean's chest, stopping all movement.  
  
"What the hell, man? This is hardly the time for woodley shenanigans." Dean said with a suggestive, teasing smirk.  
  
Sam narrowed his eyes, ready to defend his older brother until the guide pointed right where Dean was about to step. "Bear trap, _ranger_." Haley rolled her eyes and huffed out a breath at Dean's incompetence. He grabbed a stick, setting off the trap before continuing to lead the search once again.  
  
Dean shrugged his shoulders, "I knew that. Just wanted to see if you would stop me."  
  
"Did you bring any provisions?" Haley asked a while later. The group had unanimously decided to stop for a few minutes to eat and rest up before continuing the search.  
  
"Uh..." Dean looked back at Sam, who sucked his teeth a bit. Did you guys bring any? Hell if he remembered.  
  
"You guys aren't rangers."  
  
"In fact, we did bring them."  
  
Dean smiled wide.  
  
_There's my girl! Come on, bitch her out some more! Do it for your big bro._  
  
You slipped your bag from around your shoulders and handed your brothers their water and trail mix, sitting in between them. You wiped some dirt from your Converse, though in the end it was pointless anyway because this walk sure as hell wasn't over. Roy assumed his position as leader after five minutes, Ben following behind him. Sam packed your bag up for you and held it while you slid your arms through the straps, his arm coming to rest across your shoulders as you trekked further into the woods, the sunlight becoming less and less visible and the aura becoming much scarier.  
  
Haley looked at Dean, making sure they were a few feet from the rest of the group before speaking up. "I know you aren't rangers, so give it up. Who are you and what do you want?"  
  
Dean sighed and gazed at you and Sam walking. Your head was leaning into his side and Sam was talking again, something he'd hardly done much of since Jessica's death. He was talking about college, and his classes, friends, and overall experiences. He was actually smiling, completely enchanting you with his tales of a normal life. And he seemed just as engrossed in telling you his stories, knowing that a family member was actually interested in listening to the misfit of the family's outcast anecdotes.  
  
"Sam is my brother, and (Name's) not my girlfriend. She's our baby sister." He admitted to her. "Just... Don't mention anything about that."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Long story. Look Haley, we're lookin' for our dad. He went missing a little while ago, and you could say I felt sorry for you. I know how you feel, alright?"  
  
"Why not just say all this from the get-go?" Haley was rightfully suspicious of him. Who wouldn't? The man just admitted he was a liar!  
  
"Doesn't matter. You know the truth now. I'm lookin' for someone, you're lookin' for someone. Are we cool?"  
  
She inhaled deeply, "I guess."  
  
"And just so you know, I did pack snacks."  
  
"Your sister had them, I know."  
  
Dean winked and pulled a bag of candy out of his jacket pocket, offering some to her. "She didn't have these. And don't tell her; sour gummy worms are her favorite and if she finds out I've got some, I'm gettin' a cold shoulder and I'm losin' my candy."  
  
_Damn I keep a lot of secrets from her..._  
  
xXx  
  
You were piggybacking on Sam when you all finally arrived at Blackwater Ridge, Dean's candy confiscated an hour ago, you occasionally feeding Sam a gummy worm. He preferred the blue and pink worm, you noticed, so you made sure to only give him those until they all ran out. Dean was pouting (though he kept denying Haley's accusations of such a thing) and you were ignoring him, just as he predicted would happen. Come to think of it, he probably jinxed himself just by bringing it up.  
  
"Karma's a bitch." He muttered under his breath.  
  
Sam knelt down, letting you off before walking ahead of Roy. "What are our coordinates?"  
  
The guide read off the coordinates and Dean nudged himself between the two of you, grabbing a gummy worm from your hand and listening to the sounds of nature. Or rather, the complete _lack_  of any noise. No birds singing, no bugs moving, not even crickets chirping.  
  
"I'm gonna look around." Roy stated.  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea." Sam warned.  
  
And of course the prick thought Sam actually cared about him, spouting off an egotistical response and moving ahead, his gun at the ready. Dean looked at Ben and Haley before Sam and then you, who looked away from him, your lips in a pout. He stuck his tongue out at you before looking at everybody once again, clapping his hands.  
  
"Alright! Everyone stick together. Can't use the buddy system anymore, 'cause that jackass made it an odd number."  
  
"Roy?" Ben asked.  
  
"No, the bitch who added a third Winchester."  
  
"What?" Sam said, a confused look taking over his face. The hell was Dean talking about?  
  
"Yes, I'm talking about Roy! Jeez."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I am alive.
> 
> It's a start, at least. I managed to get a few things off my to do list and utilized my last moments of spring break to finish this chapter up. I'd have done the whole episode, but that'd be too long for one chapter, so we'll probably finish this up next time. I got my groove back for this story after I read it over, so I'm pretty sure it won't be seven months until the next update. Though graduation is coming up soon...
> 
> I like to think I keep people on their toes.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed, stay tuned, please don't hate me. Love ya!


	7. National Siblings Day (Extra)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured that since it's National Siblings Day, I could do a little something with the Winchesters. This isn't moving the plot forward, but it'll make for some hella Easter Eggs later on in the story. ;)

_John kissed the top of all three of your heads, as you were all sitting in a row on the old couch the motel room had to offer. He ruffled Dean's hair and knelt down in front of him, an apology in his eyes that didn't fire off of his lips. "I'll be back tonight. There's money in your jacket, and there's some food in the bag on the table. I love you."_  
  
_Dean nodded and John pulled all three of you into his arms for a brief hug, Sam not exactly putting his all into his own embrace. John looked at you with a soft expression, kissing your cute little nose. Your giggle lifted his normally down-trodden spirits and he stood up, able to face the supernatural with confidence. He'd come back to his babies. His fingers gently moved through Sam's hair. "Ought to get you a haircut soon..." He mumbled._  
  
_"I like it this way."_  
  
_John nodded, "A trim, at least. I'll see you later. Be good for your brother, and go to bed at your bed time, (Name). Little four-year-olds gotta get to bed on time so they can stay cute in the morning."_  
  
_"Okay Daddy!" She snuggled in her oldest brother's side, biting down on her lower lip with a silly, toothy smile._  
  
_His eyes glistened and he finally left, his game face taking over the one he reserved for his children. These days, it was getting harder and harder to keep them from being one, but he had to try for the kids. They were his everything, and they deserved only his best. That was what he vowed to do since Mary was pregnant with Dean, and he wasn't giving up now. He owed those kids, and he couldn't go back on his word. He couldn't be a failure. Not now, not ever._  
  
_One of your arms snaked around Dean's, your thumb making its way to your mouth. Your favorite cartoon of all time was on, and nothing was going to go on around you, for fear of your much less-cute counterpart, with the ridiculously loud screech and teeth that really did hurt. And right when Sam was going to sneak off to read a book and tease Dean in the distance, your tiny hand reached over and grabbed his, locking him in for another hour and a half. He looked over your head at Dean, who was silently laughing at him. Sam silently blew air through his nose, glad he'd already made himself comfortable._  
  
_You laid down, head on Dean's lap and feet in Sam's. The teddy bear your father had given you was tightly in your arms, Sam's hand no longer trapped. You and Dean started laughing at the show, though Dean stopped once Hello Nurse stepped into the room. Admittedly she'd caught Sam's attention as well, despite the fact that she was animated. Yakko and Wakko's hearts were practically beating out of their chests, Sam and Dean almost mirroring them. Though soon she was gone, and they were back to normal: Dean just going with it, and Sam plotting his escape._  
  
_Dean's head was resting on his fist, and he looked like he was ten seconds away from falling asleep. It was an interesting show, yeah, but he'd seen the same episodes a thousand times before, it seemed. And when there was a motel without working TV, you would recite the lines with your teddy bear, that's how well you knew it! But when the show was on, that's all that was on. And unfortunately for them, you were the type to wake up early and channel surf before even Dad woke up._  
  
_Sam couldn't help but wish Dad was back. You preferred watching television with him, since you got to sit on his lap. Usually he'd fall asleep, but sometimes he stayed awake and genuinely enjoyed it. But alas, Dad was hunting and he and Dean were screwed._  
  
_But then there was a saving grace. The episode ended and you suddenly stood from the couch, running to the bathroom. It was then Dean noticed Dad hadn't even put any pants on you that morning, and that you were just in your underwear and one of his old work shirts from when he was a mechanic._  
  
_"I gotta go potty!" You yelled, your teddy bear accompanying you to the bathroom._  
  
_Sam and Dean bolted off the couch as soon as the door slammed shut, Sam grabbing a book from underneath his pillow and sitting on his bed happily. Dean rushed to pull out an outfit for the day for you, opening up the bathroom door and tossing the clothes in. "Change your clothes, (Name)!"_  
  
_"'Kay, Dean!"_  
  
_And with at least two minutes added to his clock, he rushed into the kitchen and dumped the cereal John bought into a bowl, reaching into the fridge for the milk when suddenly the bathroom door creaked open. His eyes went wide and he glanced at Sam, who indicated he was not going to help Dean out. Dean's green eyes bounced from his breakfast, the remote, and the bathroom door. It was either eat, or be stuck with that damn cartoon all morning..._  
  
_**Why not both?** _  
  
_Dean rushed over to the couch, your little feet padding against the floor at a much faster pace. The theme song was starting, oh god no, it was starting..._  
  
_**"It's time for-"** _  
  
_"No!"_  
  
_In a last-ditch effort, Dean jumped, holding the cereal to his chest so it wouldn't get everywhere. He hoped, at least. Dad would be pissed if there were ants everywhere by the time he got back..._  
  
_His hand was on the remote, but you were already sitting on the floor, eyes glued to the television. He cursed internally and watched as you sat on the floor, the teddy by your side while you put on your clothes. You were definitely a smart kid, having been screwed over by that trick of Dean's many times now..._  
  
_And so Dean sat on the couch, dejected and cereal all over his shirt. He didn't even get to have any milk..._  
  
_Dean picked up a piece of the cereal and tossed it over at Sam, who glared at Dean over the top of his book. Dean pointed to the fridge and held up his bowl. Sam merely turned back to his book, the jerk..._  
  
_A commercial break came quickly and you turned back to look at your oldest brother. "Dean, I'm hungry!"_  
  
_"Go sit at the table and I'll get you some cereal."_  
  
_"I wanna watch my show!"_  
  
_Dean breathed in heavily. Have his way, or let you have yours...?_  
  
_He sighed, "You can eat on the floor..."_  
  
_You gasped and stood up clumsily, launching yourself onto him. "Yay!"_  
  
_Dean smiled softly and pat your back, "Can't get you breakfast if you don't get off me."_  
  
_"But I wanna hug my big brother!"_  
  
_"Tell you what; Sammy's all alone with that book. I think he needs a hug more than I do."_  
  
_You gasped again and looked over at Sam, who tuned out the entire conversation. You climbed off of Dean and the couch and rushed over to Sam's bed, hopping on top and crawling over to him. "Sammy, I got a hug for you!"_  
  
_The book was knocked from his hands to the ground and suddenly there was a small child taking its place. She snuggled into him and kissed his cheek, arms squeezing him tightly. Sam just shrugged and hugged you back, Dean still chilling out on the couch, only now he had milk added to his bowl and the remote in his hand, changing the channel._  
  
_"Sammy, can you read to me? At the table though! 'M hungry."_  
  
_Sam glared at Dean, who was holding back insane laughter._  
  
_Siblings..._


	8. Chapter 7

"Haley!" Roy shouted. He was a fair ways ahead of the rest of the group at this point as he waved for her to join him. "Come over here."  
  
She ran to him, you and the remaining boys close behind. You felt the sudden urge to vomit and looked away, hiding your face in Dean's chest. He rubbed your back and look at the shredded tents, blood everywhere. Their supplies were scattered all around, some animals taking an interest in them and others just watching from afar. Sam looked all around and swallowed thickly.  
  
Oh, this was _not_  going to be easy...  
  
Fast, strong, deadly with an agenda...  
  
"Seems like a grizzly attack to me." The guide looked at some of the tears, careful not to touch any of the blood or move anything around too much.  
  
_Grizzly attack my ass._  
  
Haley started freaking out, Ben oddly quiet still even as his sister called out for their lost brother. Sam took it upon himself to grab her arm. "Shh!"  
  
"Tommy!" She shrieked.  
  
"Haley, shut up, I mean it." He said through his teeth, looking around, "Whatever it was, it could still be around."  
  
Dean, meanwhile, crouched down and glared at the ground. He looked up at you, expression grave and confused. "These bodies were only dragged so far. After right there," He pointed a few feet away. "the tracks stop cold."  
  
"Not a skinwalker or a black dog then..." You concluded, crossing your arms and rubbing them. "Dean, I don't like this."  
  
"I don't either, sweetheart, but this is our job."  
  
"No, that's _your_  job!"  
  
Your older brother stood up and looked down at you. " _Our_  job. This world involves you as much as me, Sam, or Dad."  
  
You shook your head tearfully, "No... I don't want this."  
  
Dean licked his lips and sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground for a moment. He didn't want this life either. Who would want a life where you're out riskin' your neck week after week? No steady job, no place to live, not even normal friends to make... The only constant was family, _if_  they stuck around or managed to stay alive. And at the rate this was going, Dad was gonna be gone forever soon.  
  
He looked back up at you. It was this world that tore you down so much in the first place. This world ruined the strong woman you'd grown up into, and replaced her with someone who couldn't even stand to be alone for more than three hours maximum. The past version of yourself would be ashamed. He'd seen you kill vampires, werewolves, and whatever else came along your path with such an intensity that even he felt frightened, all with a smile on your face. It took Dean ages to get Dad to let him hunt alone, but it took you two tries before he submitted. You were so far gone from the little sister he knew, and he hated himself for missing that version more.  
  
"Family business, baby girl."  
  
Dean grasped your hand and pulled you closer to the campsite. You wrenched your hand away and relocated to Sam's side, which was a much more comfortable place at the time. Dean was cold, and you didn't know what you did to deserve it. His green eyes stared at you for a moment before looking away. You could've died on that hunt, and here he was, complaining about how much you'd changed as a result of the horrors enacted upon you. He was despicable, truly.  
  
He looked down at Haley, who was sobbing silently over the destroyed and bloody phone Tommy was using. His exhaled through his nose heavily and crouched down next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, he could still be alive."  
  
Haley looked up at with a glare, but couldn't come back with any snarky remarks. She instead looked back at the destroyed campsite, wiping the tears from her face as they fell. Dean gazed back down at the ground and shook his head, a headache of his own coming on.  
  
_"Somebody! Help!"_  
  
Sam and Dean sprang into action, Ben immediately rushing to his older sister and holding her tight. You held your hand over your chest, pulse quickening. "Dean..."  
  
He looked back at you and gently placed his finger to his lips. You nodded and took a deep breath as the new voice screamed again, Dean's attention snapping away from you. _"Help! Help!"_  
  
Roy started the running, Haley, Ben, and your brothers following close behind. They all quickly looked around, nearly breaking their necks to find the distressed person. And yet, there were no signs of any people being there...  
  
Sam narrowed his eyes and looked closer around, "Dean."  
  
The shorter brother looked up, "See anything?"  
  
"Where's (Name)?"  
  
"I thought she was right next to you!" Dean looked around, worried.  
  
Sam shook his head, "No. I thought-"  
  
Dean took off running back towards the campsite. All of the supplies the entire group brought for the search had disappeared, but that wasn't what the boys were concerned about.  
  
_"(Name)!"_ Dean shouted, hands running through his hair. It was one thing for his father, an ex-Marine and experienced hunter, to be missing, but it was a _completely different story here!_  
  
"Where the hell did she go?" Roy asked, "And where the hell is our gear?"  
  
"You think I know the answer to that?!" Dean shouted, advancing quickly towards the man that'd been pissing him off for hours on end. _"Do you think I fucking care?!"_  
  
Sam grabbed Dean's shoulders, "Dean, stop! We're not gonna find her if-"  
  
"Sam, we have to fucking find her. I will be _damned_  if I lose her one more fucking time~!" Dean's teeth were gritted and he was pushing against Sam, eager to just choke the fucking life out of that asshole just a few feet away from him.  
  
"I get it, Dean!" Sam yelled, balling his fists into Dean's jacket. "But beating the shit out of him isn't gonna get our baby sister back. Putting our heads on straight and _thinking_  is gonna be what finds her. Our supplies are gone, including Roy's GPS and satellite phone. This thing is smart."  
  
Sam looked back at the pack, pushing Dean back a ways away. "Let me see Dad's journal."  
  
Dean took a deep breath and swallowed thickly as Sam flipped through the book, glancing between it and Sam's face often. Sam stopped on a particular page and looked at Dean. "I think we got our monster of the week."  
  
The oldest of the Winchester brothers looked up, bewilderment taking over his pissed off features. "Sam, what the hell? A _wendigo_? I've only heard of them being in northern Michigan and the woods of Minnesota, never this far out west."  
  
"All the signs are there, Dean. The claws, mimicking voices..."  
  
Dean swore under his breath and pulled his pistol out from his pants. "This is just great... This is now completely useless."  
  
Sam looked over his shoulder, "We need to get them to safety. It's not gonna do us any good lookin' for the wendigo, (Name), _and_  Tommy if they're holding us back."  
  
Dean marched over and his face was set in a very serious manner. "Play time's over, boys and girl. Things got more complicated and it's time for you guys to go."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ben spoke up.  
  
"Whatever it is, I think I can handle it, _kid_."  
  
Dean balled his fists up and snarled, rushing Roy to the nearest tree and slamming him against it. "Listen here. I don't have time for your bullshit anymore. This thing is a better hunter than just about anything in this damn world, and you, me, or anyone else here doesn't stand a fucking chance against this thing at night time. It it time. To fucking. _Go."_  
  
Sam's fingers curled into Dean's jacket and he pulled the man away before his venom could really lay into the pompous guide. Haley and Ben stared at the three of them.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere until we find Tommy. He might be alive, you said so, Dean!"  
  
"It's not safe, Haley."  
  
"If we leave, Tommy might die. And (Name)." Ben spoke up.  
  
Dean closed his eyes and bit down hard on his tongue. Clearly they weren't leaving without their brother.  
  
"Fine. But we're not gonna get anything done at night. We gotta find a place to lay low and protect ourselves."  
  
xXx  
  
Dean drew the Anasazi symbols into the dirt around the campfire. "These will protect us. Wendigos can't cross these, so we'll be safe for the night."  
  
Roy snorted and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. People actually believed in this shit? Dean silently flipped him off and sat down by his brother, looking at him carefully. "What's goin' on in that freaky head of yours?"  
  
"I'm-"  
  
"Do not dare tell me you are fine. Your girlfriend bit the dust and two of out of four Winchesters still alive are missing. You're not fine."  
  
Sam stared at the fire. "Dean, why are we even here in the first place? Dad's not here. He'd have left us a message, or... Something."  
  
Dean nodded, "Gotta be honest with you Sammy; I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek."  
  
"So why send us here in the first place? What's the point?"  
  
Dean pulled out their father's journal. "This. Dad left us with what he did for a reason, Sam. I think he wants the three of us to take up the mantle, you know? Everything he knows is in this book or in our brains by now. Family business, Sam."  
  
The taller Winchester rubbed his temples, shaking his head. "Dean... Why doesn't he just call us?"  
  
"I don't know, Sammy." Dean shrugged. "But he gave us a job, and I intend to do it. He has his reasons."  
  
"Dean, I gotta find Jessica's killer. Ever since she died..." Sam's eyes watered. "I can't think straight, knowing it's still out there and I don't know what did it. We need to find Dad."  
  
Dean held his hands out, "Slow your roll, Sam. Before we step foot outta these fucking woods, we're finding (Name). She comes before _everything_."  
  
"I know that, Dean! You know what I meant." Sam said forcefully. The hell was Dean's problem? Of course he wasn't leaving without you safe and in their care!  
  
Dean's eyebrows came together, "Sam, we're gonna find them, don't worry about that. But that's all on the back burner until (Name) is back with us. Can you imagine how pissed Dad would be if we found him and she was dead?"  
  
Fingers moved through his hair and he attempted to look at the stars through all the trees. "How do you guys do this?"  
  
"I figure since our own family is so screwed to hell," Dean moved his gaze from his brother to Haley and Ben, who were holding one another by the fire. "might as well try and help ones that have it right."  
  
"What about all the anger inside of you?" Sam couldn't grasp how Dean was so laid back all the time.  
  
Dean smirked, "Killin' as many sons a'bitches I can."  
  
Sam's smile was quickly wiped away when there was more screaming.  
  
_"Dean!"_  
  
Dean began to stand, Sam pulling him down. "Dean..."  
  
He nodded and swallowed thickly. "Right... Wendigo..."  
  
_"Dean! Help me!"_  
  
"Stay cool everyone, and no matter what, _stay in the damn circle._ "  
  
Roy rolled his eyes and readied his gun, "Right, 'cause the magic circle's gonna help us, right?"  
  
_"Sam!"_  The wendigo switched tactics, your brothers' hearts hurting at the sound of your voice pleading for them. Dean breathed deeply. Was this how it was on that hunt? Were you calling for him? For Dad? Hell, _for Sam?_  
  
Haley held Ben tighter, whispering words of comfort while Roy continued to point his gun. "Well, it's no grizzly."  
  
_Fucking told you so._  
  
Haley shrieked as something rushed by, goosebumps traveling along everyone's bodies. Damn this thing was quick...  
  
_"Sammy! Dean!"_  
  
"Damn that's hard to listen to..." Dean muttered.  
  
Roy suddenly shot his gun twice. "I hit it!" He stepped out of the circle, despite the loud cries of the rest of the group that insisted he stay in the circle.  
  
"You two stay put!" Sam shouted before leading the chase after Roy.  
  
"It's in the tree!" Roy shouted just before the wendigo reached down, snapping his neck.  
  
"Oh shit..." Dean mumbled.  
  
Sam flashed his flashlight around, "Dammit..."  
  
xXx  
  
"This stuff is supposed to be fake..."  
  
Sam and Dean had gone back to the circle after Roy's death, somehow managing to get a few hours of shut eye. Dean woke up at the crack of dawn, shaking everyone awake. Sam was looking through the journal again and Haley was asking just about every question under the sun.  
  
"Wish I could tell you otherwise, sweetheart. But I can't." Dean picked at some grass.  
  
"Is it still watching us?"  
  
"For now? No. We're safe. For the moment, anyway."  
  
"Why do you guys know about this stuff?" She couldn't imagine actively seeking monsters such as the one that took her brother and killed Roy.  
  
Dean huffed out a short, humorless laugh. "Family business, I guess you could say."  
  
"If (Name) knows about all this... Why didn't she follow us?"  
  
He wiped his face, ring bumping his nose. He sucked on his lower lip as he gave it a nice, long stare. You'd given him that ring for his birthday...  
  
"I don't know. She... Somethin' happened, and she's not the woman she used to be."  
  
Sam settled in next to Dean, showing Ben and Haley a page in the journal, showing them the information on the horrid creature, and how they originated.  
  
"We've got a chance to kill it, but only in daylight."  
  
"You know I'm in, Sam."  
  
"So how do you kill it?" Ben asked, that question never being one he'd have thought he'd ask ever in his life.  
  
Dean knelt down and picked up a bottle, a white cloth, and a lighter. "You torch it."  
  
"Wait..." Haley stopped everything. "It says that it's always hungry. So how can Tommy and your sister still be alive?"  
  
"You know how bears hibernate? Well, so do wendigos." Sam said, and Dean couldn't help but wonder how he could have that Stanford-esque vibe to him while teaching kids about the god damn supernatural. "They only hunt for so long, since they hibernate for years at a time. So uh..."  
  
"They store their food alive during that period." Dean said gravely. "So (Name) and your brother are being held somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. Which means we gotta get moving."  
  
Sam took up the lead and soon enough the group passed a tree with more claw marks and blood. Sam stopped to stare at them for a moment, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. This was too easy...  
  
"So, if it eats all its victims, why did it kill Roy?"  
  
"He probably pissed it off when he shot it." Dean spoke up.  
  
Haley, too busy watching for claw marks as the group continued on, failed to notice a large tree root sticking out of the ground. She tripped, arms flailing wildly and accidentally knocking the Molotov cocktail from Dean's hand in the process. Dean quickly brought his hands up and steadied her before looking down at the broken cocktail.  
  
"Sorry..." She mumbled, cheeks red.  
  
Dean licked his lips, "It's fine. We'll just find another way."  
  
They walked for another two hours before the youngest in the group stopped.  
  
"Are those... M &M's?" Ben kneeled down and picked up a blue piece of candy. They all looked forward, eyes bouncing from piece of candy to other piece of candy.  
  
Dean frowned and reached into his pocket where he'd stashed (and actually forgotten) the candy. It was gone from his pocket, and suddenly he was hit with something like a brick.  
  
_You looked up at Dean, wondering why his attitude had suddenly changed. A yellow packet was sticking out from his pocket, and you bit down on your lip. First gummy worms, and now peanut M &M's? Jerk. Carefully you pulled the candy from his pocket, Dean paying you no mind after you went off and stood next to your other brother._  
  
"Sonuvabitch." He muttered. "Sam, when all is said and done, she's grounded."  
  
"Dean, she's an adult now. And not even your kid."  
  
Dean followed the trail, shouting with his back to the group. "Grounded, Sam! She's fucking grounded!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't finish out the episode quite yet.
> 
> Oops.


	9. Chapter 8

When you regained consciousness, your arms were incredibly sore and a rope was tied around your wrists tightly. You took a deep breath and looked to your left. The boy was awake, barely, but he was awake.  
  
"Are you Tommy?" You whispered. He nodded in response and you let out a breath. Now when your brothers came and found you, this damn hunt would finally be over.  
  
"My name is (Name), and my brothers are coming to save us, okay?"  
  
"H-How?" He choked up, hoarse as hell.  
  
"Trust me... My big brother's gonna be too mad not to find me. I risked a lot doin' this, so... Bear with me?"  
  
He nodded and you took a deep breath. Oh, Dean was gonna be so mad... And for the first time in your life, you were _glad_  Daddy wasn't around...  
  
But wasn't that being a hunter? Sometimes you had to just... Buck up and take one for the team, right? When the group had gone off running, that's when you realized what the hell the spooky scary monster of the week was a wendigo. All the signs were there! You seriously doubted that another person was as deep into the woods as the rest of you. Forests were scary as all hell!  
  
You turned your wrists as much as you could. There was a knife hidden in your jacket; the only problem was reaching the dagger before the wendigo came back to its lair.  
  
xXx  
  
Dean ran his hand through his hair, "What the hell was she thinking?"  
  
Sam shrugged, "Maybe she's starting to come around, find her old self again?"  
  
"She wouldn't have done that."  
  
"Dean, she has done it. She was fifteen years old-"  
  
"Not _this_  (Name), Sam!" Dean shouted. "She's too damn fragile, and scared, and... _Sensible_  to do something like this!"  
  
Sam stopped walking and stared at his brother. What the hell did Dean want? Their sister to be able to take care of herself, or their sister to constantly be by his side and afraid? "Dean, you ever think you've rubbed off on her?"  
  
"Sam, that's disgusting!" Dean deflected, following the candy path intently now. This was _not_  a conversation he was interested in having. The _only_  thing that mattered right now was saving that damn woman and the boy before it was too late.  
  
A short while later Sam was walking beside his brother again. How were there that many M&M's in the packet? They had to be about a mile out from where the chocolate trail started. He led the way into the mine, Dean at the back of the pack. Sam quickly grabbed Ben while Dean grabbed Haley, both of their mouths being covered to muffle their screams. The wendigo was there, walking towards them. A bead of sweat trickled down the taller Winchester's cheek and he rested a beat before daring to look back out where the monster was.  
  
For the love of all that was holy, the wendigo was gone, most likely taking the path that was a few feet ahead of the group. With a nod to Dean, who had let go of Haley, Sam ventured forward once more.  
  
xXx  
  
"Tommy, I think I can get us out of here." You faced him as best as you could. "I'm sure the boys are on their way, but I can't stand being here anymore."  
  
"What's... Your plan?"  
  
"My knife is in my pocket; I just need to use your shoulders to reach it."  
  
He nodded, "Anything, please! Go for it."  
  
With a gulp and a quick apology, you placed your foot on his shoulder, pushing yourself up. Tommy, while normally quite the strong young man, hissed in pain. He hadn't been nourished in days now...  
  
Quickly and quietly you counted to three, pushing completely off of Tommy's body. Luckily you'd shot yourself high up enough and the handle of your dagger was hanging out of your pocket as it was. Carefully yet expertly your fingers latched onto it as the rest of your body plummeted back down into its previous hanging form. The boy looked at you, stunned.  
  
"How did you do that?" He whispered.  
  
You puffed out a laugh, "Honestly... I don't even know. It was just... Natural."  
  
Cutting through the rope wasn't going to be as simply, unfortunately. The only way you could grip the knife and really dig into the rope was to hold the blade, by, well... _The blade._ You grit your teeth together and shut your eyes, relying on your sense of touch to get you through this. Blood was pouring from the wounds on your fingers and the palm of your hand, but you had to keep going. Daddy would've done whatever it took to get out of this hellhole and find you, and you'd be damned if you didn't reciprocate. And when he was reunited with the remainder of his family, the trouble would all be worth it in the end.  
  
Tommy was on the verge of passing out again when you suddenly fell down to the ground, hands covered in your blood. The last of the rope was severed and with one strong, quick slash Tommy was free as well. The knife was dropped on the ground, sensitive to the touch. Nothing was too deep, but it still hurt like a bitch. Tommy put on one of the supply bags and you opened the other, a rag oh so conveniently placed inside. With clean(er) hands and a flare, you set off with the boy.  
  
You looked up at him, "I have to kill that wendigo before we leave."  
  
"Are you nuts?!" He whisper-shouted. "We gotta get outta here!"  
  
"I can't let this thing strike again. Against my..." You stopped. "Work ethics. It's the exact opposite of what my family's business is supposed to do."  
  
The boy shook his head. "I can't. I gotta get out!" He ran off, even with his limp impeding some progress.  
  
You shook your head, loose bits of hair falling into your defeated eyes. Why did you put yourself into this mess? The back of your hand, which was less marred with your blood than the palm, wiped away some sweat and pushed the hair out of the way. It would be so easy to leave this mine and find Dean and just _launch_  yourself into his arms... So fuckin' easy...  
  
"You gotta job to do, (Name)." You muttered to yourself. "You put yourself here, gotta get yourself out."  
  
Your footsteps were silent as you went along the same path Tommy rushed out of, not that you could blame him. Goosebumps littered your skin as each foot was carefully placed in front of the other, heart about to pop out of your chest.  
  
xXx  
  
"Are those... Footsteps?" Haley asked, confused.  
  
"Definitely not the wendigo." Dean muttered. The figure came closer, collapsing to the ground. Haley and Ben gasped, tearing over to their brother.  
  
"Tommy!" Haley cried, tears flowing freely. The eldest boy hugged his brother and sister tightly, though their reunion, while sweet, was the last thing on Sam or Dean's minds.  
  
"Tommy." Sam said, kneeling down next to him. "Was there anybody else with you?"  
  
He nodded, "Yeah, she's the one who got us out."  
  
"Where is she now?" Dean's voice was deeper than normal, and rather gruff. Why the hell was _he_  here, but not his baby sister?  
  
"She... She said she's gonna take care of that thing..."  
  
"The hell she is!" Dean shouted, which was a mistake, to say the least. He closed his eyes at the sound of growling. "And this is how we die. Nice knowin' you, Sammy."  
  
Or so he thought.  
  
_"You want some white meat, bitch?!"_  
  
You shot the flare, jabbing the creature right in the gut, falling to your knees as it burst into flames. The gun fell from your hands and you began crying, hands fruitlessly trying to clean the mess from your face, instead only adding to it, what with your open wounds and all. Sam and Dean ran right towards you, Sam getting there first. He fell down next to you, pulling you into him and smoothing your hair down. His shirt was already soaked by the time Dean joined the party, both of his arms around his younger siblings. He closed his eyes and if anyone had anything to say, that was _not_  a tear that fell from his eyes. It was dusty, that was all!  
  
"Don't you..." Dean growled lightly. " _Ever_  do that to me again. Do you hear me?"  
  
You nodded and hid your face in his neck. His lips wobbled and he kissed your forehead, closing his eyes.  
  
xXx  
  
You were sitting in the backseat of the Impala, hands bandaged as Sam and Dean said their goodbyes to the Collins and gave the police their stories. Sam and Dean grinned at one another and hopped in the car, Sam in the driver's seat. You furrowed your eyebrows. Dean _never_  let anyone drive Baby...  
  
Your older brother kept the car in total silence for about ten minutes before turning to look back at you. "You know I'm angry."  
  
You nodded and looked down at your shoes. "Yeah..."  
  
"And you know that if Dad was here, you'd be fucked sideways, right?"  
  
"Mhm..."  
  
"You scared the hell out of me."  
  
"I know..." You finally looked at him. "And I'm sorry, Dean, really! I just... I recognized what it was and... I didn't want us to have to stay longer than necessary. Who knows how long it would've taken us to kill it if I didn't do what I did?"  
  
"Do you think I care about that? (Name), that thing could've eaten you."  
  
"It wouldn't have. It was storing food for its hibernation."  
  
"That's not the point!" He shouted, causing Sam to flinch. He glanced at the driver. "Don't you dare wreck my car."  
  
His attention reverted back to you. "Dammit, (Name)... When we came back to that campsite, and you weren't there... I swear to the Christ I don't fuckin' believe in a piece of me died. I thought I lost you, again. You can't go doin' that to me anymore."  
  
"I won't..." You whispered. "I just..."  
  
Dean held his hand up. "No chick-flick moments, baby. Just lay down and get some rest for me, alright?"  
  
He turned back around and faced the road. "You're grounded, by the way."  
  
Sam shook his head and laughed as you made yourself comfy in the back. "Where the hell is she gonna go, Dean?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Within seconds you were in dreamland, right as Dean realized something.  
  
"Hold up... That bastard fucking ditched our sister in a mine, _with a fucking wendigo on the loose!_ Sam, turn the car around."  
  
"I'm not turning the car around."  
  
"Sam!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short, but I figured it's alright, since we've finally closed out episode 2, lol.


End file.
